Relationships Australia CBD (main office) – The last male mediator quit approx two months ago,now all female staff.

Centrecare Adelaide CBD (main office) – Mediation dept all female staff.

Now just imagine the uproar if it were all male staff!

Never married and thank god, but been through seperation and lost everything!

Anne’s tips on survival include:
- don’t act on impulse
- resist the urge to blame your partner
- get some support
- try to reconnect with the fundamental reason that you are with the other person
- think about what would be the best steps to resolve the issue

What do moms really think?

93% of moms believe there is a father absence crisis.
Most moms think dad is replaceable.
Married and cohabiting moms were happier with dads’ performance than moms not living with dad.
Married moms believe more in the power of marriage to help dad be the best he can be than moms who are cohabitating or separated from dad.
Dads of young children got better marks than dads of teens.
Closeness to children and work-family balance were the biggest predictors of mom’s satisfaction with dad (after living arrangement).
Most moms said they could do a better job of work-family balance if dad provided more help.
Moms said that “work responsibilities” were the biggest obstacle to dad’s success in fathering.
Strong religious values are beneficial to helping dads be better fathers.
Moms think communities of faith are the top place for dads to get fathering help.
Nonresident dads think they’re doing a better job than the moms who co-parent with them think they are.
African-American moms weren’t as happy as white or other minority moms, but most of the difference can be explained by living situation or family structure.
New romantic relationship for dads equals less happy moms.
Moms who aren’t living with the father of their children identified more and stronger obstacles to his ability to parent.

WHAT HUSBANDS WANT FROM THEIR WIVES

1. Believe in His Capabilities
Many men believe it is important for them to protect and provide for those they love. Let him know that you believe in his talents and skills and are supportive of him.
Understanding
One of the ways you can both tell and show your husband that you want to understand him is by making a commitment to daily dialogue with him. Daily dialogue only takes 20 minutes out of your day. Isn’t your husband worth 20 minutes each day?

2. Affirmation of His Accomplishments
Most guys like to be patted on the back. Compliment your husband often. Just don’t over do it with sicky sweet oozes of how great he is. That type of affirmation will backfire.

3. Acceptance
Many husbands are hurt and angered when their wives try to change them. Realize that the only person that you can change is yourself.

4. Less Chatter
If your husband is tired, or involved with a project, and you really want to talk to him about something, get to the point. If he wants the details of the topic, he will ask for them.

5. Affection
Hold your husband’s hand in public, leave a message of love on his voice mail, massage his shoulders, give him an unexpected kiss. Men like to be romanced too!

6. Respect
Show respect for your husband by not making negative comments about his thoughts and opinions, by being considerate of his plans, and by avoiding the “eye roll” when listening to him.

7. Free Time
Most everyone has a desire for some quiet time alone, and time to re-energize, regroup, and reconnect. When your husband first gets home from work, allow him some free time to unwind. Don’t over-schedule his days off with projects around the house.

8. Trust
Trust is vital in the success of a marriage. If you are having doubts about your husband and find it difficult to trust him, seek counseling and not spying.

9. To Be a Companion
Hopefully, you can say that your husband is not only your lover, but also your friend. Staying friends and companions through the years requires that you find ways to make time together and to do things together.

Commit to change. New year. New behaviors. POSITIVE behaviors.

This past weekend our three grandchildren were here for a visit. When our five-year-old granddaughter noticed Bob patting me on my rear, I told her grandpa was just flirting with me. She smiled and said that was okay.

Flirting with your spouse is okay and it is natural and it is fun. Flirting with your spouse was in the news recently when Heidi Klum said she didn’t flirt — but she was talking about flirting with other people. It is apparent from other things that Heidi and Seal have said about their marriage that they do believe in keeping their marriage playful.

Heidi: “I don’t flirt. Even if you don’t actually touch someone or do anything to them, it’s disrespectful to your husband. I would never do that. I’m very devoted, and he’s the same.”
Source: Heidi Klum: Flirting Would be Disrespectful To My Husband.” HuffingtonPost.com. 1/14/2010.

What are your thoughts about flirting? Do you still flirt with your spouse? How do you flirt? Do you get upset if your spouse flirts with someone else?

My husband and I actually have a commitment to spend ten minutes a day, every day, bringing our bodies, hearts and souls together. It is so incredibly rewarding, we teach about it at Intimacy Retreats that we lead, and in our new book, Tantric Sex for Busy Couples: How to Deepen Your Passion in Just Ten Minutes a Day. I know I’m tooting my own horn here, which is not always welcome in comments, but the reason I teach and write is to share this information with everyone, so this seemed a perfect chance to do so. Ten minutes is less time than most people spend trying to end a phone conversation with someone they don’t even want to be talking with! Surely even the busiest among us can find moments in each day to lovingly connect with our spouse. Richard and I actually schedule the time, so we don’t blow it off like so many other “to-do’s” that get on our list. In this case, our commitment leads to a joyous experience of love, which is why we chose to marry in the first place!
—Diana_Daffner