With Valentine\u2019s Day just round the corner we thought we\u2019d put trivial gifts and naff cards to one side and concentrate on the real crux of the matter\u2026 what makes a relationship work?\u00a0With divorce rates sky rocketing to near the 50% mark we spoke to couples that have stood the test of time and questioned what\u00a0really\u00a0makes love last?<\/p>\n
FRIENDSHIP IS AS IMPORTANT AS LOVE<\/p>\n
When asked the question: \u201cWhat\u2019s the secret to a long, happy marriage?\u201d a common answer from people in long marriages was: \u201cI married my best friend.\u201d Similarly, from those whose marriages did not succeed, you all too often hear:\u00a0\u201cWell, we were good at love, but we never learned how to be friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
You have to be friends and share common interests. Whether that is something as trivial as both sharing hobbies or having the same sense of humour, when looks start to fade it\u2019s the true friendship union you have that will make you last.<\/p>\n
James Hall, a 54-year-old investment banker said, \u201cThe secret to my successful\u00a020-year\u00a0long\u00a0marriage is I married my best friend. After a string of frivolous relationships with model types, who to be honest never stimulated me intellectually, I met my wife who was a partner in a law firm, she had a cracking sense of humour and the\u00a0guttsiest\u00a0personality and we just clicked and became friends. After 6\u00a0months she was transferred to the States for work that I just knew I had to have her by my side. To cut a long story short after a flight out and romantic proposal \u2013 she felt the same, said \u201cyes\u201d and we have never looked back.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SHARE\u00a0SIMILAR CORE VALUES<\/p>\n
Opposites may attract, but they don\u2019t\u00a0always\u00a0make for\u00a0great and lasting marriages.\u00a0You are much more likely to have a satisfying companionship for life\u00a0when you and your partner\u00a0are fundamentally similar. And the most important thing to look for is similarity in your core values.<\/p>\n
Take Emma Sylvester, who at 87 has been married for 58 years. As she put it with a smile, \u201cIt\u2019s quite an achievement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know it when I got married, but in retrospect I know it\u2019s important to have the same basic values. In other words, if you\u2019re a free spender, marry somebody who understands that. If you\u2019re frugal, you need to marry somebody who understands that, because money is one of the stumbling blocks in marriages. And fortunately me and my husband had the same values on most things. Because of this, we really didn\u2019t argue. And we really didn\u2019t agonise over things. We came\u00a0to our decisions by just realising that we had usually the same goals. We both believed in education. We wanted to be moral according to society\u2019s standards, to raise our children to be good citizens, and to be responsible in terms of finances.\u201d<\/p>\n
As boring as it may sound –\u00a0it is these basic yet solid foundations that will help you achieve long lasting love.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE<\/p>\n
According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward the key to a long-lasting relationship is laughter. The Queen and Prince Philip, had one of the most successful marriages lasting 74 years before Philip\u2019s death last year. \u201cThey have a great relationship and they laugh all the time together,\u201d Seward was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
Apparently the Queen is an excellent comic and despite her incredibly OTT posh accent can put on a fantastic\u00a0Liverpudlian, Irish and American accent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the secret is they laughed together, we all know that life is very, very difficult but to see the funny side sometimes – a shared sense of humour can go a long way,\u201d Seward said.<\/p>\n
Halle Simpson, a mum of two said about her 15-year relationship, “We just enjoy each other’s company. We’re playful and tease each other in a light-hearted way. Life can be so hard and finding ways to make each other smile seems to be the antidote for us.”<\/p>\n
Psychologists agree\u00a0too. There have been many studies on couples that share laughter having a more solid union than those that have a more \u2018serious relationship\u2019 without humour.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
KNOW WHEN TO\u00a0LEAVE\u00a0ARGUMENTS<\/p>\n
It is important to know when to leave an argument or how to settle disputes peacefully. Invariably if you spend that much time with one other person, tensions are going to brew from time to time.\u00a0\u202fApologise<\/a>,\u202fforgive<\/a>\u00a0and make up with each other. If you threaten to break up with each other after every fight or argument, you will never really resolve anything.<\/p>\n Caitlin Moore, 42, who has been married for 11 years put it simply: \u201cTake breaking up off the table,\u201d she said. \u201cTalk through disagreements as long or as many times as it takes until the issue is resolved and both of you feel comfortable moving forward.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes\u00a0me\u00a0and my partner find\u00a0it easier to leave an argument rather than fight it if we know there is no winning solution. I was committed to my partner Tom being my life partner and when we both realised this and took the \u201cI\u2019m going to leave you card\u201d off the table we learned to back down in arguments that although seemed important at the time\u00a0–\u00a0we knew were not make or break.\u201d<\/p>\n A good tip to cooling off arguments is to talk\u00a0about the good with the bad. Start off by saying how much you love the person and how committed you are to making the relationship work.\u202fThen\u202fgo into your complaint, if you have one. It will make your partner less defensive.<\/p>\n Also learn to leave arguments \u2013 sometimes who was right or wrong in a situation is unimportant. Just get on with your life and\u00a0your\u00a0day-to-day living and loving.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ESTABLISH TRUST\u00a0AND LOYALTY<\/p>\n You can\u2019t have a relationship without trust. Trust is founded\u00a0not just\u00a0in\u00a0loyalty\u00a0to that person but respect towards them.\u00a0Be able to trust each other in everything, keeping private your partner’s innermost\u202fsecrets, fears\u00a0and struggles.\u00a0You can also help your partner overcome them.<\/p>\n When you say you’ll do something, follow\u00a0through. Keep your word. Realise that fulfilling simple, basic commitments every day lays the foundation of trust that extends to more challenging situations.<\/p>\n \u201cMy partner had trust issues from a previous relationship where her boyfriend had cheated on her,\u201d Mike says. \u201cIt took time for her to build trust in me and our relationship because of this. I found that by proving to her that I was loyal and trustworthy by keeping a\u00a0personal\u00a0secret\u00a0of hers, keeping appointments and sticking to my word, she learned to trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n As hard as it may be try and leave any emotional baggage from one relationship when moving onto another.\u00a0Loyalty and trust\u00a0is a definite key to a successful union.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n KEEP THE ROMANCE ALIVE<\/p>\n When you have been in a relationship for a while, romance does tend to go out the window\u00a0to make way\u00a0for everyday life;\u00a0time for careers, juggling kids, finances etc. But it is really important to make time for that special someone in your life.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t have to be expensive gifts or over the top romantic gestures \u2013 just try to keep that glimmer of romance you had in the start alight. Once a month, get a\u00a0babysitter go out for dinner and\u00a0try\u00a0to\u00a0make that extra time for each other.<\/p>\n Most people don’t try romantic activities because they simply don’t know how. Here\u2019s a hint: there are no secrets to romance. Most of the time, everything we need to know is right under our noses.<\/p>\n Maria, a busy mum of three, thought the romance had gone from her relationship when her husband came home without the kids from school one day.<\/p>\n \u201dUrm, where are the kids Paul?\u201d I said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re at my mothers,\u201d he replied.\u00a0\u201cI have booked us a trip to Paris for the weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n I literally couldn\u2019t believe it and the trip from start to finish was magical taking in the sights, going out for dinner at lovely restaurants. It was just what I needed and definitely injected that much needed spark and spontaneity into our married life.\u201d<\/p>\n While Paris doesn\u2019t have to be on the cards, a bit of thought and planning and a romantic gesture every so often does go a hell of a long way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ABSENCE\u00a0MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER<\/p>\n Spend\u00a0time apart from your partner. It will help your relationship to grow by not crowding each other\u00a0and give you the much needed opportunity to miss each other so when you are together you can say how you\u2019ve truly missed that person. It doesn\u2019t have to be weeks on end\u00a0(although that works fine too) it can\u00a0just\u00a0be\u00a0a day, night or weekend away\u00a0with friends.<\/p>\n Amber\u00a0Collier, a 28-year-old PR executive says she makes sure she goes for regular weekends away with the girls and it has really helped her have a stronger and healthier relationship with her partner Jack.<\/p>\n \u201cJack really misses me when I\u2019m away and we have a great time \u2018catching up\u2019 when I\u2019m back,\u201d\u00a0she laughs. \u201cI really believe it is important to not\u00a0neglect your friends. A lot of people enter relationships and\u00a0dump\u00a0their friends.\u00a0Don’t forsake your friends; they’ll help you discover yourself and\u00a0stay\u00a0grounded\u202fwhile\u202fyou’re in the relationship,\u201d Amber says.\u00a0\u201cBesides who wants to live in the pocket of your other half 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you don\u2019t have the chance to develop your own friendships and the joys you get out of having these relationships\u00a0makes you a better person to be around.\u201d<\/p>\n Amber and Jack are due to get married in May. Amber is going on a hen weekend and a week long holiday with her old school friends. We spoke to Jack about whether her\u00a0absence\u00a0makes his heart grow fonder. \u201cI don\u2019t like her going away but I really miss her when she\u2019s gone and we have a great time catching up when she\u2019s back.\u00a0So yes I agree – absence does make the heart grow fonder.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n SEE YOUR FAMILY AS ONE<\/p>\n You can\u2019t choose your partner\u2019s family and we all know in-laws can be hard to deal with, but if you want to have a good relationship with your partner it is important\u00a0to\u00a0learn\u00a0to\u00a0get on\u00a0with them.<\/p>\n Katie Simpson, a relationship psychologist, says:\u00a0\u201cDon’t try to find fault. We’re eager to dismiss the blemishes of our own parents but point out the blemishes of our partners. Try to break this cycle. Give both sets of parents the benefit of the doubt before you judge them.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing your combined family as one, whether you\u2019re\u00a0married or not can really help overcome this. Try to find the good in them (and in everyone for that matter) and you will find your life and relationships a lot easier to deal with,\u201d she advises.<\/p>\n Besides if a wedding or long term partnership is on the cards you will have to spend more time with these people, so you might as well make sure you\u2019re having fun whilst doing so.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With Valentine\u2019s Day just round the corner we thought we\u2019d put trivial gifts and naff cards to one side and concentrate on the real crux of the matter\u2026 what makes a relationship work?\u00a0With divorce rates sky rocketing to near the 50% mark we spoke to couples that have stood the test of time and questioned what\u00a0really\u00a0makes love last?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n FRIENDSHIP IS AS IMPORTANT AS LOVE<\/p>\n When asked the question: \u201cWhat\u2019s the secret to a long, happy marriage?\u201d a common answer from people in long marriages was: \u201cI married my best friend.\u201d Similarly, from those whose marriages did not succeed, you all too often hear:\u00a0\u201cWell, we were good at love, but we never learned how to be friends.\u201d<\/p>\n You have to be friends and share common interests. Whether that is something as trivial as both sharing hobbies or having the same sense of humour, when looks start to fade it\u2019s the true friendship union you have that will make you last.<\/p>\n James Hall, a 54-year-old investment banker said, \u201cThe secret to my successful\u00a020-year\u00a0long\u00a0marriage is I married my best friend. After a string of frivolous relationships with model types, who to be honest never stimulated me intellectually, I met my wife who was a partner in a law firm, she had a cracking sense of humour and the\u00a0guttsiest\u00a0personality and we just clicked and became friends. After 6\u00a0months she was transferred to the States for work that I just knew I had to have her by my side. To cut a long story short after a flight out and romantic proposal \u2013 she felt the same, said \u201cyes\u201d and we have never looked back.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n SHARE\u00a0SIMILAR CORE VALUES<\/p>\n Opposites may attract, but they don\u2019t\u00a0always\u00a0make for\u00a0great and lasting marriages.\u00a0You are much more likely to have a satisfying companionship for life\u00a0when you and your partner\u00a0are fundamentally similar. And the most important thing to look for is similarity in your core values.<\/p>\n Take Emma Sylvester, who at 87 has been married for 58 years. As she put it with a smile, \u201cIt\u2019s quite an achievement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know it when I got married, but in retrospect I know it\u2019s important to have the same basic values. In other words, if you\u2019re a free spender, marry somebody who understands that. If you\u2019re frugal, you need to marry somebody who understands that, because money is one of the stumbling blocks in marriages. And fortunately me and my husband had the same values on most things. Because of this, we really didn\u2019t argue. And we really didn\u2019t agonise over things. We came\u00a0to our decisions by just realising that we had usually the same goals. We both believed in education. We wanted to be moral according to society\u2019s standards, to raise our children to be good citizens, and to be responsible in terms of finances.\u201d<\/p>\n As boring as it may sound –\u00a0it is these basic yet solid foundations that will help you achieve long lasting love.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE<\/p>\n According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward the key to a long-lasting relationship is laughter. The Queen and Prince Philip, had one of the most successful marriages lasting 74 years before Philip\u2019s death last year. \u201cThey have a great relationship and they laugh all the time together,\u201d Seward was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n Apparently the Queen is an excellent comic and despite her incredibly OTT posh accent can put on a fantastic\u00a0Liverpudlian, Irish and American accent.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the secret is they laughed together, we all know that life is very, very difficult but to see the funny side sometimes – a shared sense of humour can go a long way,\u201d Seward said.<\/p>\n Halle Simpson, a mum of two said about her 15-year relationship, “We just enjoy each other’s company. We’re playful and tease each other in a light-hearted way. Life can be so hard and finding ways to make each other smile seems to be the antidote for us.”<\/p>\n Psychologists agree\u00a0too. There have been many studies on couples that share laughter having a more solid union than those that have a more \u2018serious relationship\u2019 without humour.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n KNOW WHEN TO\u00a0LEAVE\u00a0ARGUMENTS<\/p>\n It is important to know when to leave an argument or how to settle disputes peacefully. Invariably if you spend that much time with one other person, tensions are going to brew from time to time.\u00a0\u202fApologise<\/a>,\u202fforgive<\/a>\u00a0and make up with each other. If you threaten to break up with each other after every fight or argument, you will never really resolve anything.<\/p>\n Caitlin Moore, 42, who has been married for 11 years put it simply: \u201cTake breaking up off the table,\u201d she said. \u201cTalk through disagreements as long or as many times as it takes until the issue is resolved and both of you feel comfortable moving forward.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes\u00a0me\u00a0and my partner find\u00a0it easier to leave an argument rather than fight it if we know there is no winning solution. I was committed to my partner Tom being my life partner and when we both realised this and took the \u201cI\u2019m going to leave you card\u201d off the table we learned to back down in arguments that although seemed important at the time\u00a0–\u00a0we knew were not make or break.\u201d<\/p>\n A good tip to cooling off arguments is to talk\u00a0about the good with the bad. Start off by saying how much you love the person and how committed you are to making the relationship work.\u202fThen\u202fgo into your complaint, if you have one. It will make your partner less defensive.<\/p>\n Also learn to leave arguments \u2013 sometimes who was right or wrong in a situation is unimportant. Just get on with your life and\u00a0your\u00a0day-to-day living and loving.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ESTABLISH TRUST\u00a0AND LOYALTY<\/p>\n You can\u2019t have a relationship without trust. Trust is founded\u00a0not just\u00a0in\u00a0loyalty\u00a0to that person but respect towards them.\u00a0Be able to trust each other in everything, keeping private your partner’s innermost\u202fsecrets, fears\u00a0and struggles.\u00a0You can also help your partner overcome them.<\/p>\n When you say you’ll do something, follow\u00a0through. Keep your word. Realise that fulfilling simple, basic commitments every day lays the foundation of trust that extends to more challenging situations.<\/p>\n \u201cMy partner had trust issues from a previous relationship where her boyfriend had cheated on her,\u201d Mike says. \u201cIt took time for her to build trust in me and our relationship because of this. I found that by proving to her that I was loyal and trustworthy by keeping a\u00a0personal\u00a0secret\u00a0of hers, keeping appointments and sticking to my word, she learned to trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n As hard as it may be try and leave any emotional baggage from one relationship when moving onto another.\u00a0Loyalty and trust\u00a0is a definite key to a successful union.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n KEEP THE ROMANCE ALIVE<\/p>\n When you have been in a relationship for a while, romance does tend to go out the window\u00a0to make way\u00a0for everyday life;\u00a0time for careers, juggling kids, finances etc. But it is really important to make time for that special someone in your life.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t have to be expensive gifts or over the top romantic gestures \u2013 just try to keep that glimmer of romance you had in the start alight. Once a month, get a\u00a0babysitter go out for dinner and\u00a0try\u00a0to\u00a0make that extra time for each other.<\/p>\n Most people don’t try romantic activities because they simply don’t know how. Here\u2019s a hint: there are no secrets to romance. Most of the time, everything we need to know is right under our noses.<\/p>\n Maria, a busy mum of three, thought the romance had gone from her relationship when her husband came home without the kids from school one day.<\/p>\n \u201dUrm, where are the kids Paul?\u201d I said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re at my mothers,\u201d he replied.\u00a0\u201cI have booked us a trip to Paris for the weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n I literally couldn\u2019t believe it and the trip from start to finish was magical taking in the sights, going out for dinner at lovely restaurants. It was just what I needed and definitely injected that much needed spark and spontaneity into our married life.\u201d<\/p>\n While Paris doesn\u2019t have to be on the cards, a bit of thought and planning and a romantic gesture every so often does go a hell of a long way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n ABSENCE\u00a0MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER<\/p>\n Spend\u00a0time apart from your partner. It will help your relationship to grow by not crowding each other\u00a0and give you the much needed opportunity to miss each other so when you are together you can say how you\u2019ve truly missed that person. It doesn\u2019t have to be weeks on end\u00a0(although that works fine too) it can\u00a0just\u00a0be\u00a0a day, night or weekend away\u00a0with friends.<\/p>\n Amber\u00a0Collier, a 28-year-old PR executive says she makes sure she goes for regular weekends away with the girls and it has really helped her have a stronger and healthier relationship with her partner Jack.<\/p>\n \u201cJack really misses me when I\u2019m away and we have a great time \u2018catching up\u2019 when I\u2019m back,\u201d\u00a0she laughs. \u201cI really believe it is important to not\u00a0neglect your friends. A lot of people enter relationships and\u00a0dump\u00a0their friends.\u00a0Don’t forsake your friends; they’ll help you discover yourself and\u00a0stay\u00a0grounded\u202fwhile\u202fyou’re in the relationship,\u201d Amber says.\u00a0\u201cBesides who wants to live in the pocket of your other half 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you don\u2019t have the chance to develop your own friendships and the joys you get out of having these relationships\u00a0makes you a better person to be around.\u201d<\/p>\n Amber and Jack are due to get married in May. Amber is going on a hen weekend and a week long holiday with her old school friends. We spoke to Jack about whether her\u00a0absence\u00a0makes his heart grow fonder. \u201cI don\u2019t like her going away but I really miss her when she\u2019s gone and we have a great time catching up when she\u2019s back.\u00a0So yes I agree – absence does make the heart grow fonder.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n SEE YOUR FAMILY AS ONE<\/p>\n You can\u2019t choose your partner\u2019s family and we all know in-laws can be hard to deal with, but if you want to have a good relationship with your partner it is important\u00a0to\u00a0learn\u00a0to\u00a0get on\u00a0with them.<\/p>\n Katie Simpson, a relationship psychologist, says:\u00a0\u201cDon’t try to find fault. We’re eager to dismiss the blemishes of our own parents but point out the blemishes of our partners. Try to break this cycle. Give both sets of parents the benefit of the doubt before you judge them.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing your combined family as one, whether you\u2019re\u00a0married or not can really help overcome this. Try to find the good in them (and in everyone for that matter) and you will find your life and relationships a lot easier to deal with,\u201d she advises.<\/p>\n Besides if a wedding or long term partnership is on the cards you will have to spend more time with these people, so you might as well make sure you\u2019re having fun whilst doing so.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With Valentine\u2019s Day just round the corner we thought we\u2019d put trivial gifts and naff cards to one side and concentrate on the real crux of the matter\u2026 what makes a relationship work?\u00a0With divorce rates sky rocketing to near the 50% mark we spoke to couples that have stood the test of time and questioned […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6775,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features"],"yoast_head":"\n