You’re juggling the needs of your kids—their homework, their sports, their friends. You’re busy preparing for a big presentation at work. You’ve got a bunch of emails to reply to and, oh yeah, you have some Facebook posts to make. Your schedule is absolutely full. You’re doing some great things, but what about your spouse? Are they enjoying the fruit of your activities? Or are they just getting your leftovers? If...

It’s crucial to develop good listening skills that account for your spouse’s style. There are different communication “personalities” that help you to listen better. For instance, maybe you’re married to what I call “Details Danny…or Danielle”. They don’t just tell a story, but the entire story. Details that seem frivolous to you are a big deal to them. And they don’t feel heard without telling details. So if you...

Whether you and your spouse pucker up at the drop of a hat or only give the occasional peck on the check, here are some medical benefits that a good “make out” session creates.  Studies show that these medical benefits include reducing blood pressure, boosting immune systems, and get this fighting cavities with increased saliva, burning calories, and even exercising facial and neck muscles. So when you see your...

The easiest thing to do is to look at your spouse…I mean, they’re the reason that you’ve got problems in your marriage in the first place, right?  Well, let me ask you, have things gotten better since you blamed your spouse for all your problems?  Hmmm…my guess is…no. The movie The Song, which is now available on DVD, shows us how it really does take two to tango. How more often than not, both a husband and wife...

Your spouse will appreciate the time you invested in coming up with a creative gift this Valentine’s Day. Here are some unique types of gifts to trigger your own creative juices. First, think about gifts that are symbolic, that stand for something in your relationship. For example, get gift cards for the five restaurants from your five most special dates, and write a note to her saying, “Let’s relive our favorite...

Every marriage faces difficulties from time to time. But, instead of preparing for defeat, prepare to overcome them. Here are some common hardships married couples face and what you can do. First, money struggles. When financial hardship hits your home, create a workable budget together with your spouse and get out of debt as quickly as possible. Second, there are struggles with challenging children. And when...

Author Cynthia Ulrich Tobias wrote a book that helps parents and educators understand kids. It’s called The Way They Learn. Her insights about learning styles can also help spouses who are trying to better understand one another. The first learning style is Concrete-Sequential. These spouses are organized and efficient. Systems and routines just make sense to them, and they take things literally. The second style...