Empty Nesting : Reinventing Your Marriage When the Kids Leave Home

The drive home was filled with silence and emotion. Emily and Dan had just taken their youngest child to college. Both of them were replaying years of images in their minds. "What's next?" They would glance at each other with a knowing smile, but inside they were afraid, excited but afraid. They knew this was an opportunity to rebuild their relationship, but how? Like Emily and Dan, empty-nest couples in record numbers are asking themselves: What can we talk about now that we've lost the emotional focus of our life? How can we revitalize our marriage? With the kids gone, what is my new identity? Where do we go from here? Fighting forYour Empty Nest-Marriage offers clear-cut instructions for dealing with one of the most difficult periods in any marriage?the transition period when the children leave home. Based on the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) and the results of a national survey of long-term married couples, this warm and helpful guide is brimming with practical suggestions and wisdom for learning to let go of the kids and preserving the sense of commitment, love, partnership, sensuality, and fun within a marriage. As practical as it is informative, Fighting forYour Empty Nest-Marriage starts off with a helpful quiz that can identify key patterns and pinpoint the problem areas within a marriage. Armed with the results, you can use this down-to-earth book to learn how to: Put romance and sensuality back into your relationship Slow down and get life in perspective Look at the positives in your relationship Have fun together as a couple Balance your life as a couple between your kids and your aging parents At the end of each chapter, the book includes helpful exercises for avoiding marital burnout and rekindling a loving and long-lasting partnership. Fighting for Your Empty Nest-Marriage offers fundamental information and teaches vital skills needed to regroup, refocus, and refresh a marriage after the children leave home. Learn the skills you need to fight for the future of your empty-nest marriage The cofounders of Marriage Alive International and the developers of the acclaimed Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) have joined together to create this much-needed guidebook to help empty-nest couples prepare for the next stage in their relationship. This enlightening book helps empty-nest couples focus on positive change within their relationships and offers solid advice for learning the skills needed to have a more fulfilling and intimate relationship than was possible during the hectic parenting years. "Bravo! This book is brimming with practical suggestions and good advice for couples who want to make the second half of their marriage the best half. " David Blankenhorn, president, Institute for American Values; author, Fatherless America "This book is the step-by-step, can't miss, user-friendly guide to having it all-to sharing the happiest time of any marriage with the love of your life. It should be required reading for all those about to embark on the empty-nest journey. " Diane Sollee, founder and director, Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education "A team of top-notch marriage savers offers first aid for marriages facing one of life's most disorienting transitions. Their advice is practical and up-beat. It is refreshing to read a book about marriage written by people who don't just believe in marriage but actually understand how it works. " Frank Pittman, M. D. , author of Private Lies and Grow Up "There is no better team of authors for a book on empty-nest marriage-and no better book. Give it to someone whose marriage you care about-including yourself. " Bill Doherty, professor, family social science, University of Minnesota "Married people are healthier, happier, and better off financially than the single. This important book tell you how to keep your marriage itself healthier and happier after kids are gown, with exercises, checklists, and tips for managing conflict. A great 'off to college' present for parents. " Linda Waite, professor of sociology, University of Chicago; coauthor of The Case for Marriage