Good relationships are good for you and good for your children. It’s never too late to start working on improving your relationships.
People in supportive, loving relationships are more likely to feel healthy, happy and satisfied with their lives. They are less likely to have mental or physical health problems or do things that affect their health. People in good relationships help each other practically as well as emotionally. They share the good times and help each other through the tough ones. All relationships have challenging times.
Your relationship greatly affects your children as they grow up and become adults. Children will benefit from your efforts to enrich your relationship.
Breaking up can be a health hazard
It often takes two years or more for a couple whose relationship has ended to begin to put their lives back together and recover from their emotional pain. Many people can develop serious health and emotional problems during this time. Financially, many men and women and their children are significantly worse off following separation and divorce.
Good relationships
Good relationships involve:
- respect, honesty and trust
- love, companionship and shared activities
- mutual emotional support and intimacy
- communication
- agreement about finances, child raising and other matters important to you
- shared dreams for the future.
Relationships can change
Over time, people change in many ways including their interests, confidence and attitudes. Relationships can change when:
- children arrive and as the children go through various developmental stages and eventually leave home
- there are financial pressures
- work demands increase and responsibilities change
- one or both partners retire from work
- if you stop doing things together.
Some couples also face unexpected changes like:
- illness
- disability
- unemployment
- addiction problems
- living apart due to employment or family issues.
All changes bring their own challenges, but are easier to cope with if the couple relationship is solid and they can talk and work their way through the issues that concern them.