Communicate With Your Partner

Have you lost touch emotionally with your spouse or partner after years of raising children and putting their needs first? Now that one or more of your kids has left the nest, start a new chapter in your relationship by reconnecting.

The best way to get closer to your partner is through good communication. Focus your discussions on each other or your interests and forget about the kids for a while! Ease into communicating by writing a love note telling your partner what you love about him or her. Or do something together that creates space for conversation, such as going to dinner, hiking, going for a drive or even gardening. Share your hopes and dreams for the future and for the marriage. Put on “your song” and hold each other, dance and rediscover what it feels like to be a couple again, just the two of you. Use the new silence to build bridges, not walls.

For single parents, now is a great time to focus on your own hopes and dreams for the future. You might also start to consider dating again, if you haven’t already done so.