Why accidentally (or intentionally) weaponizing your partner’s love language could be a recipe for heartache.

Ah, love languages! The magical keys that unlock the doors to our hearts and, occasionally, to our favorite dessert spots. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, I’ve had my fair share of couples who’ve approached me with quizzical expressions, wondering why their partner insists on receiving love in a completely foreign language. Fear not, lovebirds, for today we’re digging into the world of weaponizing your partner’s love language – not to start World War III, but to create a more harmony.

How many of you have teens, or are a teen? I don’t know about you, but I’m terrified of my teens getting their hearts broken, or worse. Statistics show that teen dating violence is getting worse and it affects MILLIONS of teens each year, and I’m seeing it affect many of the teens here in middle Georgia.

Data from CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2019 indicate that among U.S. high school students who reported dating during the 12 months before the survey:

About 1 in 12 experienced physical dating violence.

About 1 in 12 experienced sexual dating violence.

Did you know that laughing has actual health benefits? Medical and mental health professionals agree that there are short-term and long-term benefits to laughter. Here are a few of my favorite reasons why we should all try to add more humor to our lives. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Bettina Lyons, shares ways that introducing laughter and silliness into your days can benefit many areas of your life.

Where are my people who can get lost even with a map? Even with step-by-step instructions? This is the story of my life. I am not a good tracker of time. I am not a good navigator. I cannot interpret maps. So, why did I think that I could plan a hike in California (across the country from where we reside)? I thought I could, so I did. This seemed like a great date idea for us. I planned for us to take what was described as a “moderate to strenuous” 3.3 mile hike that combined two hikes. It seemed simple enough. I did not communicate the directions well to my husband because I did not have them solid in my own mind. Even though I’m not a great navigator, this ended up still being a very fun experience. We can look back on this hike with fondness and laughter because we were able to communicate with each other with love and respect.

I really miss date nights with my husband. I miss getting ready to go out to eat or to catch some live music, or even just walking around downtown. My husband and I have always made time together a priority, but ever since this pandemic hit, we have found it more tricky to be deliberate with that “we time.” I have compiled a list of ten quarantine-style dates to help you find ways to connect with your partner.

How to listen like you mean it. “You’re not listening! I keep trying to tell you… “ or “You aren’t hearing me. How many times do I have to tell you…?” Do those sound familiar? Have you been the one to exclaim those types of statements? Or, have you been on the receiving end of those? Or maybe both. And, why does this happen in the first place?