National Marriage Week Press Release
National Marriage Week (generally the second week in February) launches with a challenge to the nation: "Wise up and talk to each other".National Marriage Week challenges the nation's husbands and wives to stop everything else and spend 10 minutes each day during Marriage Week having face-to-face discussions about any topical news story from a newspaper.
Richard Kane who founded National Marriage Week, which is now approaching its eighth year said, "Couples who drift apart do so because time together is pressured and unrewarding. Creating a meaningful ten minute ritual is a great way to keep the fire of love burning brightly, even if time is short".
Speaking in response to the launch of the Ten Minute Challenge, Andrew Oswald, Prof of Economics, Warwick University said, "If you can make it work, marriage is really great for you. It makes you much healthier, much wealthier, and much cheerier -- no question at all. It is probably the single best investment in well-being you can make. Of course finding the right person is not so easy. But both first and second marriages produce, for men and women, huge amounts of happiness".
Some couples naturally chat after dinner, every day, others chat in the car. Some couples however, only chat about family scheduling and then only when necessary. Marriage researchers say that building friendship or dedication is the ultimate key to a successful marriage. Couples who have stayed married for 20 to 60 years have two things in common. They prioritise their time together as a couple and take a long-term view of their marriage.
Most couples get married because they are great friends. Most couples divorce because they have grown apart. The message is clear. Friendship depends on making time to deepen the relationship. Spending time together doing simple things keeps friendships fresh and alive. Spending time together allows the good and bad to be discussed.
"People grow apart when the level of communication degrades to the occasional grunt, whereupon a discussion regarding contentious areas such as children or money can easily result in angry rows," says Kane. "Soon there's little in common and the prospect of a meaningful chat about anything important is dismissed, which leads to withdrawal. A 10-minute chat about the news may seem easy for some. But for others it may really help them start to get back on track."
Married couples have found many innovative ways of spending regular time together. The simplest rituals involve weekly dinners, walks; bike rides, sport, trips to the cinema, or baths together. No phones. No TV. No children!
Editors Notes
Challenge your readers to write in with their marriage rituals.
Richard Kane, Founder & Director of National Marriage Week.
T: 01202 883887. M: 07702 426500.
E: marriageweek@tiscali.co.uk
W: www.nmw.org.uk
Harry Benson runs Bristol Community Family Trust and teaches couples how to stay married.
T: 0117 924 1480
E: info@bcft.co.uk
W: www.bcft.co.uk
Dave Percival www.2-in-2-1.co.uk the UK's leading access point for resources for every stage of marriage.
Office Tel 01344 779658.
Mobile 07802 660524
email dave@2-in-2-1.co.uk
Andrew Oswald Prof of Economics, Warwick University.
More on marriage rituals at www.smartmarriages.com/intentionalmarriage.html
Source: National Marriage Week
