Couples Married 50+ Years Reveal Real-Life Secrets To Holiday Marriage Survival

12 Tips For Holiday Marriage Survival (Source: Couples Married 50+ Years)

1. Never discuss sensitive subjects when you’re hungry.

2. Make a list of what not to talk about at family gatherings. Examples: —Never use the word “older,” as in “Aunt Mary is ‘older’ than Aunt Susan” or “For an ‘older’ man, Uncle Harold has a lot of hair.” —Don’t talk politics, religion, baseball or football, especially what teams are playing each other in Bowl games.

3. At family dinners, if you’ve lost weight recently, don’t mention it. In fact, wear baggy clothes to make yourself inconspicuous.

4. Never roll your eyes or shush someone’s annoying, bratty child running around or whining.

5. Take a vacation, i.e., go on a cruise, stay at a bed & breakfast. (If some relatives are insulted by your plan, they’re probably the same ones that made you miserable!)

6. Consolidate tasks. Example: Take a nap together. This allows you to accomplish two goals at once: 1) Devote time solely to each other, and 2) Prevent exhaustion.

7. Make dreaded tasks more enjoyable. Example: Chat on the phone with someone you’ll miss seeing over the holidays (refer to #5) while wrapping presents or addressing holiday cards.

8. Celebrate somebody else’s holiday. Forego the lavish, overindulgent holiday feast and, instead, volunteer at a church, food bank or homeless shelter to help the less fortunate.

9. If an issue arises, decide how big a deal it really is to the two of you – not Aunt Emma or Uncle Fester. (And, in the heat of battle, seize fire.)

10. Weather turbulence with laughter.

11. Forget the Norman Rockwell ideal. The pie crust won’t be perfect. Scale down your expectations, and focus on what’s right rather than what’s wrong.

12. Keep a good book handy.

(Sheryl P. Kurland © December 2005)

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