Adapted from 12 Tips for Keeping Love Alive in Your Senior Years, by Mia Taylor (Cheapism.com)
As Valentine’s Day cards and candies fill the stores, it’s a great time to rekindle those relationship flames. Here are three fun ways to keep the romance alive:
Gift Yourself Regular Date Nights
Older people focus tend to most of their energy on children, grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren. But your partnership is just as important, says author Jennifer FitzPatrick. “This can be a problem for second marriages or newer relationships because there are so many family members to tend to.” Plan for – and keep – regular date nights for just the two of you.
Ditch Your Sexual Routine
A study of men and women over 70 conducted by researchers at Indiana University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion found that 43% of men and 22% of women engage in sexual intercourse. Yet, many couples get into sexual routines without even knowing it, such as scheduled sex in a dark bedroom on birthdays. “Try new places, rooms and positions,” says David Bennett, relationship counselor and self-help author. “Nothing is stopping an older couple from exploring sexual kinks and making things more exciting.”
8 Tips for Finding Love in Your 60s
Try New Experiences Together
Speaker and author Silvana Clark isn’t a relationship expert, but she and her husband have been happily married for 40 years. Clark, 65, says one of the secrets to keeping their romance alive is trying new things together. “Every few weeks, one of us announces ‘Tomorrow at 4 p.m. we are going on an educational experience,’” she says. “The rules are that it must be inexpensive and something we’ve never done before, and nobody can complain. It is a surprise for the other person, and it forces us to check out local events and be creative.”
