Lifemates Blog

Lives continue to be challenged by the manner in which various aspects of Covid19 have affected every day life. Dr. Laura Markham in her article, "The Family That Plays Together" wrote: "Given how hard life can be at times, my opinion is that we need to seize all the joy, silliness, fun and humor we can get.""Dads4Kids" have launched a month of FUN for Dads and their kids throughout the month of November. This is such a great idea for all family members to adopt - not just for November, but for the remainder of this year.Why not make this not just a Date Challenge, but a Challenge for all the family, to have FUN together - especially over the summer holidays.PLAY IS NOT AN OPTIONFrom the infectious fun of side-splitting laughter to the exuberance of an impromptu pillow fight, infusing a spirit of joy and playfulness into your home nurtures your family like little else says Dr. Laura MarkhamPlaying together is an almost magical way to build connection. Not surprising, since when we laugh, our body releases oxytocin into our systems. So when you’re laughing with someone, you’re bonding. Laughter also transforms bad moods by [...]

Many Australians will be observing Father's Day on the first Sunday in September. It is an opportunity for people to show their appreciation for and to honour fathers and father figures. Father figures may include stepfathers, fathers-in-law, guardians (eg. foster parents), and family friends. Why not make it a mini celebration and fun. During the pandemic, many couples may have been experiencing new and unexplored sides of their spouse and marriage as they navigated the many layers of increased stressors and the unprecedented situation they lived in. The increased time together is a unique opportunity for marriage to grow and thrive through the challenges couples are encountering together. Applying Dr Gary Chapman's five love languages to daily living will help any marriage and family to thrive during the many challenges of staying at home during the pandemic. There will inevitably be times of conflict. Lily Sloane, a licensed marriage and family therapist says: "If we understand where our partners are coming from, it’s easier to muster compassion for them in moments of conflict, rather than feeling defensive or adversarial. Relationship this way — as a partnership between two broken people whose individual fears and insecurities [...]

"Show us a marriage that is faltering, and we'll show you a marriage where the fun is gone. And where the fun is gone, there is a good chance they don't date their mate! Dating is something they did before they got married. It's not in their marriage vocabulary today." (Drs David and Jan Stoop).Just because the normal practice for many is to equate 'dating' with going out to a restaurant , show etc does not mean that 'dating' has to be put on hold for now. Why not bring out those board games and challenge each other (or the family, if they are at home) to a game, or gaze at the stars together, or dream big, exciting dreams together, or share funny stories.... and have more regular 'dates' having fun with your spouse.SOME MORE IDEAS TO INSPIRE ROMANCE & FUN Go on a Youtube laugh tour.Have an indoor picnic when you are alone and it's dark outside; soften the lights.Look into your spouse's eyes with love, and smile.Call your spouse during the day and tell them something you love about them(even if they are just in another room in the home).Turn off the lights and [...]