sheknows

10 Habits Of A Loving Couple 

from sheknows.com at http://family.go.com.

comments by mom-team Amber

1.Say "I Love You" at least once a day. Your partner does need to hear the words. Amber's feelings on #1. When you get in the habit, your partner will respond with the same kindness. Not only does it affect your partner your kids will make the same changes. Kids need to hear these words each day to give them self esteem

2. Kiss good-bye and hello. Throw in a hug while you're at it. Amber's feeling on #2 When you meet and greet someone with the warmth of a hug and kiss they feel really important. I came home from a long day of work last week to nothing and that put a real sad feeling on me. When I come home and my husband and girls greet me with a kiss and hugs I feel welcomed and excited to be home. I feel loved!

3. "Date" your partner for the rest of your lives. Treat your partner even better than when you were dating… Remember that you are sweethearts ~ * open her door * straighten his tie * hold out her chair * hold hands when you're walking together. Amber's feelings on #3. When you are dating someone the thrill of first dating is the newness and excitement of getting to know each other. If we can keep this excitement in our lives by simply going out on dates with our spouse our relationships can have that new relationship feeling.

4. Don't sweat the small stuff. You can let his/her bad habits bother you to distraction… or you can accept them, and work around them. Does she leave the cap off the toothpaste? Buy separate tubes… Does he leave clothes laying around? Ignore them, or pick them up, remembering just how much he does for you in other ways. Or, make it easier for your partner to satisfy you… buy several clothes hampers and keep them handy. ;-) Amber's feelings on #4. We all have a tendency to let the small stuff bother us but as mentioned above if we sweat the small stuff we forget to see all the wonderful things our partner does on top of the little things that annoy us. We need to pay more attention to the things that we enjoy about our partners this will make them excited to do them more often. If we continually nag at our partner they will ignore us in the long run.

5. Concentrate on the positive. Instead of thinking about the ways that s/he lets you down, think of all the positive things about your partner that drew you to them in the first place. Amber's feelings on #5. With anyone concentrating on the positive allows us to be more positive and have good things happen to us instead of bad things. If we look at it on another level if we only see the negative things, there is always someone who sees our negative aspects as a positive one. In return our partner may leave us for someone who likes the negatives we see because they are in return positive to someone else.

6. Take a breather when you're mad. Don't try to talk when either of you are angry. Take a few minutes to walk around the block, lay down, just get away from each other so you can regroup. A short break will allow you both to stay on track and discuss what's bothering you instead of accidentally making personal insults that you will regret later. Amber's feelings on #6. When we have an argument in the heat of the moment we tend to say things that are hurtful and not really true but in a single moment of anger. If we take a break for a few minutes we have time to think about our argument and in a some instances the fight was not really all the upset. When we were in the heat of the moment we couldn't see we were actually wrong.

7. Don't use your partner's secrets or weaknesses against them… ever! What may seem insignificant, trivial, or cute to you may be serious to your partner. Recognize what is important to your partner, and don't discuss it with your friends, mother, his family, anyone! And certainly don't throw the words back at them in an argument. A loving relationship is one of the most intimate and trusting that anyone can have. Amber's feelings on #7. When you are mad at someone it is never ok to share the other person's intimate secrets that has been in-trusted to you. When we are mad is the most common time this happens because we have been hurt by the other person. I always say look at yourself would you want your personal secrets shared with others. I know I wouldn't so live by the golden rule do unto others as I would want done to me.

8. Think about your partner first. If both of you do this, then you can't help but win! Say 'yes' to your partner as often as possible… go to that sports event with him, get him out on that golf course because he loves golf, make life easier for your partner, and hopefully they will do the same for you! Amber's feeling on #8. We do need to take care of ourselves but if we are not selfish and share our interests and they share theirs with us then everyone wins. We get to share our talents and hobbies and also learn theirs at the same time.

9. R-E-S-P-E-C-T your partner. Don't badmouth your partner to anyone! When you talk about your partner, let your respect and love shine through. Amber's feelings on #9. Respect is key in all relationships if we talk with respect about our partners then people will know what kind of person we are and how much we value our partners.

10. Find a way to regroup together every day. Discover what works well for you both… eat a meal together, meet for happy hour drinks, skip Leno at night and just lay in bed in the dark, take a walk around the block, etc. You can even mix things up and vary your routine. If one of you is traveling, call home at night just to hear their voice. The point is to spend time together daily, just talking or breathing the same air, feeling connected. Amber's feelings on #10. This one screams out good communication. This is key to any good relationship. Romance is a way to express your love, the icing on the cake.

 But don't wait for special occasions to express your love. Make sure that you nurture your loving relationship by practicing these basic habits in your day-to-day life. These may seem very basic, but how many do you do? Don't despair… it's never too late to adopt good, loving habits. Remember… the more you put into your relationship, the more you gain!

Make love and romance a part of your daily life!

From our provider: sheknows.com at http://family.go.com/parenting/article-sk-214714-10-habits-of-a-loving-couple-t/10 Habits Of A Loving Couple