Tips for WAHMS

Last time we started talking about how important it is to keep the romance alive in your marriage when you are a work at home mom or a stay at home mom. We also discussed a few tips to get you started. Well, today I want to focus on a few more tips that can help you keep your marriage strong and the romance burning.

Get Physical
Touching is one of the most important ways you can keep the romance going in your marriage. Remember how you used to be thrilled about holding hands? How much do you hold hands now? Take the time to just hold hands. Get a long hug. Kiss each other. These physical touches are important to your relationship. Remember, romance isn't all about what happens in the bedroom. Couples that don’t touch each other usually have problems.

Give Him a Compliment
Go out of your way to compliment your man on a regular basis. Sometimes when you are busy and harried, it's easy to get into the mode of just asking your guy to do things for you or perhaps even griping when things don't get done. Take a moment to give him a compliment. Thank him for something he does for you. Tell him you still love the way he looks. C'mon…you know you can think of something original. This will make him feel great and bring you both closer together.

Know Who YOU Are
One of the biggest problems when it comes to romance and marriage is a mom who doesn't know who she is anymore. Once kids come into the picture, your always running in different directions, and you spend much of the time feeling overwhelmed, it's easy to lose who YOU are as a woman. Many times this gets in the way of romance in a marriage. Since you are unhappy with yourself, the way you look, and your frustrated with everything you have going on in your life, you don't even feel romantic, desirable, or sexy.

YOU need to take some time to know who you are. Find that woman deep within. Embrace who you are. The happier you are with yourself, the better off your relationship will be. You need to think of yourself as a woman - not just a mom. Remember, your not just a mom, you are a wife, a lover, a half of one whole. Never lose this identity. When you bring back the fire within your own heart, you'll find yourself better prepared to work on the romance within your relationship.

Well ladies. That's all for now. I hope that you have enjoyed today's post and that it has been helpful to you. I truly believe that this is a subject that doesn't get addressed enough for moms. It's easy to lose that romance in a relationship with so much on your plate. From one work at home mom to another, I hope you use these tips and ideas and fully explore and reignite the romance in your relationship.

First of all, whether you are a mom who has a job (ie. Writing, transcription, virtual assistant or other home business) that you do at home or you are a stay at home mom, I believe you fall under the category of "work at home moms." After all, even if you don't have another job, being a mom is a full time job. So, if you are a stay at home mom, this article is for you too!

Sometimes when you are a work at home mom, it's easy to feel overwhelmed with everything that's going on in your life. After all, you are asked to fill many roles. More than likely you do some cooking, some "taxi driving," cleaning, laundry, child care, and so much more. If you have a job at home as well, you also have to fill different roles for your clients or employers. With all of these other roles you end up playing, it's easy to let your role as a wife slide by. However, this is the most important role you have - after all, if you are having marital problems, everything else is probably going to suffer.

Even though you have a thousand other things on your plate, taking time to nurture your relationship and to keep the romance alive in your marriage is important. You must take the time off from being employee and mom to being a sexy woman in love with her man. Now I realize a few of you may be a bit shocked here at what I have to say, but one of the main things that work at home moms complain about is not feeling sexy any more. Well, while your husband needs to take the initiative to make you feel beautiful and sexy in his eyes, some of this is your responsibility. YOU need to take the time to feel sexy and to build up that intimate relationship with your husband. Don't let the kids or your work at home job get in the way.

So, you're probably wondering, how in the world can you add one more thing to your day? Well, first of all, you have to want to do this. You have to determine that this is IMPORTANT to you. Once you have decided you are willing to take time for this and you want to work on your relationship, here are some top tips to keep the romance alive.

Tip #1 - Talk to Each Other - Sometimes married couples spend a lot of time talking "at" each other, instead of "to" each other. You know how it goes. "Honey, can you get the kids from school." "Pick up some take out on the way home." "I really need some help here with the laundry." It's easy to get into a mode where you simply talk "at" each other. However, it's important that every day you take some time to sit down and really talk "to" each other. Communication is imperative to a great relationship. If you stop talking, the rest of the relationship is going to suffer. It don't have to be for hours, but even 20 minutes if just spending time talking can be a huge help.

Tip #2 - Keep Dating - With kids, jobs, and everything else going on in your life, it's easy to stop dating and courting like you used to. Sometimes you need a break to go out and enjoy each other's company. It's something that you can look forward to. Plan one time during the week that you'll have a "date." It can be an evening when you are able to find a babysitter or even while your kids are in school. Even if it ends up being a date after the kids are in bed with pizza and a movie, make sure you do it.

Tip #3 - Protect Your Time Together - Finding time together with your husband can be tough. Maybe he works during the day and you're at home working. When you are home at the same time, there are kids and other duties that take up your time. Then at the end of the day, often you are so exhausted that you both just fall into bed. Well, don't allow the rest of life to get in the way of spending quality time together each day. Set aside some time that is just for you. Perhaps it's right after the kids are in bed and you spend some time watching your favorite shows together. Maybe you get up before the kids do and have coffee together. No matter how you do it, protect that time together. It's very important.

(to be continued next time…check back for part 2 of this series.)