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A Family Affair
Simple Ways to Keep Romance Alive with Kids Underfoot
By Amy Carey
Life with kids is certainly different than life as a couple. Suddenly, there's no time for dates as you knew them – dinners out, movies, strolls downtown with a cup of coffee. And when there is time, the cost of babysitters can be prohibitive to a night on the town. But finding time for romance is more important than ever when kids enter the picture. The marriage you demonstrate to your children can have an enormous impact on their future relationships. Keeping romance alive and showing your children how special you and your spouse are to each other can be a benefit to the whole family.
"Unless you pay attention to your relationship, it can begin to whither and fade," says Dr. Brenda Shoshanna, psychologist and author of Zen and the Art of Falling in Love (Simon and Schuster, February 2003). "It is absolutely crucial to make time to be together in a personal, romantic way. When time like this is not scheduled, it is so easy to get caught up in your routine and forget about your relationship."
Sarah Hallford of Provo, Utah, and her husband, Jason, make an effort to put their marriage ahead of kids and household duties about once a week. "We have a night set aside for 'date night'," says Hallford. After their 3-year-old son goes to bed, the Hallfords play cards, read scripture and cook together. "Sometimes we just put some of our favorite music on and lie around and chat for a few hours." Even an hour or two of being alone together sharing simple activities like these can start to add heat to your marriage. The more time you spend together, the more you're likely to remember why you got together in the first place – and the more you'll want to steal kisses around the breakfast table.
