This is part two of an interview we started last week. If you missed part one, then click here: Interview With a “Feet” Couple (Part 1)

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6. Do you prefer bare feet or do you have an attraction of feet in stockings or socks too?

Hubby: It depends on my mood. For the most part, her bare pedicured feet are wonderful, but then there are other times where a nice pair of fishnet ankle socks or even a simple pair of nude knee highs is a wonderful treat. The texture and scent of stockings are sometimes just that added little touch that makes her feet that much more exciting.

Shoes are also fun. My wife has several pairs of shoes that she has never worn out of the bedroom. These can be a pair of simple ballerina flats, or her three inch Lucite heels which are by far my favorite pair!

Wife: I personally prefer bare feet. I don’t mind stockings and nylons but I prefer natural looking feet and legs and I especially prefer to be barefoot. I do occasionally put on stockings or nylons to arouse my husband and add spice to our sex life.

7. Do you bathe your feet before using them in a sexual act or is this not important?

Hubby: I would answer this question by countering with the question; do you always wash your hands or take a shower before a sexual act? I would be willing to wager that not everyone does and when it comes right down to the heat of the moment who really pauses the action to go take a shower? I believe that this question falls into the misconception that feet are inherently dirty. However, think about the last place your hands went on an average day; cleaning up the kid’s messes, diapers, or perhaps cleaning up the pet accidents or even the toilet. Feet merely take us where we need to go. My wife always wears sandals or slippers in the house and is only barefoot in the bedroom, so her feet remain relatively clean. On the off chance that she happens to have stepped into something, I will grab a wash cloth and lovingly clean off the soles of her feet.

I can state with confidence that I have never received a fungal infection in my mouth from kissing her feet or sucking her toes, nor have I ever contracted any type of athlete’s foot in my genital area from foot sex., so I believe that feet are just as clean, if not cleaner than say our hands are.

Wife: I personally don’t bath my feet other then when I take a shower. I usually wear slippers, sneakers or sandals that protect my feet. If I do go barefoot it is only in the house where the floors are usually clean. If on occasion I do get them dirty my husband will clean them for me or I will wash them really quick. I personally don’t think that this is important because to me feet are not that dirty. You can look at people who use their hands during sex; does the wife wash her hands before sex? Probably not and if you think about what a typical mother does during the day like wiping kids noses, changing diapers, fixing dinner, cleaning the house, doing laundry, taking care of sick kids, pets and the house. How clean is her hand during sex? A husband is the same way. Oral sex is the same thing; does anyone brush their teeth before oral sex? Or shower and clean below the waist before oral sex? Another reason I don’t wash my feet before sex is that the aroma of the foot after a day of work or life is part of the allure for those who like feet.

8. Besides the usual walking, standing, etc and sexual uses for your feet, do you do anything else with your feet? (eat, write, etc)

Hubby: My wife can pet the dog with her feet, which leaves me thinking at that exact moment, I wish I were the dog, but other than that, she really doesn’t do anything unusual. Her feet have become very dexterous over the years due to manipulating certain parts of me, so she is quite capable of picking up objects with them rather easily.

Wife: I personally don’t use my feet to write or eat. I do use them to pick up some objects off the floor so I don’t have to bend over or pet the dog with my feet. I do use them to tease my husband and make sure my nails are painted especially bright colors in the summer.

9. What is your favorite foot technique?

Hubby: I guess I would have to say that my favorite things would be anything that my wife does with her feet to flirt with me when we are out and about. She often kicks off her sandals and drives barefoot during the summer months because she knows that I love to watch her feet working the pedals. On the off chance that I am at the wheel, she will instead put her bare feet up on the dash just to see if I am paying attention. While waiting in the car for the kids to get out of school, she will often kick off her shoes and place her feet in my lap to sneak in a quick foot massage before they are out for the day. When we are apart for just a little while, she will often send me a text message from her phone with a little picture of her feet to remind me that she is thinking of me.

Wife: My favorite foot technique is more about using several different ones. My husband and I came up with what we call the cradle position during foot sex. I also like to use my toes to encase my husband and stroke certain spots to please him. I personally love rubbing my feet in his face during sexual encounters as well.

10. What do you suggest to a couple who one spouse isn’t comfortable using their feet for sexual acts, but the other wants it?

Hubby: The first thing I would emphatically state is take it slow. Societal pressures and even our theology can cause us to put on blinders temporarily in which we believe that something is wrong sexually just because it isn’t necessarily what everyone else does. You should never force a spouse to do something that they are not comfortable with. But at the same time, letting a relationship founder over liking feet is equally harmful without a spouse attempting to make an effort to understand it. Talk openly and more specifically discuss why you like feet and what about your spouse’s feet turns you on. Don’t wait until months or even years into the relationship to admit you like feet. If you have not been honest about it, come clean immediately. Communicate openly and start slowly perhaps with a foot massage and even some light toe sucking or foot kissing when both parties are comfortable. Progress slowly and eventually you can both find that feet are inherently sexual in nature. Learning to embrace foot sex doesn’t come naturally for some. It requires patience and understanding. But once you let go of your inhibitions and preconceived notions and embrace it, you will find that it can be something that binds you closer as a couple because you have grown, nurtured and learned to accept something that is uniquely your own that perhaps others cannot fathom.

Above all educate yourselves and learn to understand why feet used to be considered sexual in nature. During my years of research into the origins of those who like feet, I was able to discover that feet were an important part of sex in the ancient world. For example, in his work the Erotika Biblion, author Mirabeau tells us that Greek and Middle Eastern wives perfected techniques passed down in which they learned the skill of using their feet to gently manipulate the male genitals and provoke orgasm. William Rossi writes that it was also a common practice by wives of the ancient cultures of the Greece, Japan and throughout Asia. Education is the main reason my wife and I run a blog called Foot Fetish 101 which seeks to enlighten those who maybe new to the whole notion of feet in the bedroom. To gain further insight we would also recommend the book entitled, the sex life of the foot and shoe by William A Rossi which can be found for under $10 on amazon.com.

Wife: As I have said on my blog and to other people on the Marriage Bed, take it slow. Make sure you are open, honest and understanding. Start slow with maybe a foot massage, gentle kissing, and a lot of talking about how you feel and how she feels about foot sex. Some people just don’t understand it so do research to get informed. There is mention of foot adoration in India, Rome, Greece, Egypt, China and it is even mentioned a time or two in the bible. The key is not going to fast or forcing either party to do something they are not comfortable with. If the guy is the one who is interested and the woman is hesitant, try doing a loving massage, a pedicure and talking about how feet make you feel or why you are attracted to them. Be open to answering her questions about your attraction to her feet. For a woman who enjoys having her feet touched, it is a little different. You need to explain that it increases your pleasure, how you like your feet touched and try to see if your husband is willing to explore different variations of sexual encounters to experience the benefits of foot sex. He may not be attracted to feet but he might still like the foot sex experience. Most importantly keep an open mind. There is nothing wrong with foot sex. An attraction to feet is just like an attraction to the butt, breasts, chest hair on men, tattoos and ripped abs.

Many thanks to this couple for taking the time to answer these questions fully and honestly, and for giving us some insight into what it’s like to involve feet in your marriage bed!

If you are interested in reading this couple’s blog then you need to register with WordPress and get a username.  Then you need to email this couple at:  dr.sole2@yahoo.com requesting access to their blog.

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October 7, 2010
Categories: Interviews . . Author: cumingirl . Comments: 1 Comment

We have been hearing more and more about couples who enjoy using their feet during their intimate times together… so we set out to find one such couple to interview!  Below is part one of our interview of a couple who love using feet in their marriage bed.

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1. What exactly does it mean to “like feet?”

Hubby: Simply stated, it means that you are partial to the feet of your spouse as opposed to those who prefer their spouses breasts, butt, legs, or otherwise. It means that you enjoy gazing at the bright nail polish of her latest pedicure, the symmetrical order of her toes, the deepness of her arches and the round suppleness of her heels. It means that you can find the sight of your spouse in nylons and heels especially exciting and can be turned on just by the delicate dangling or dipping of any shoe that she has on her foot.

Liking feet is not something which I believe is an acquired taste that one merely develops. I was aware of my attraction to feet at a very young age and I believe that based on several studies it is entirely possible that I had a predisposed liking towards feet. I also subscribe to the imprinting theory and I believe that my fascination for feet may have been imprinted at an early age by someone who innocently let me massage their feet during story time to keep me occupied. I have studied the accounts of many others who also like feet who can also recall similar instances in which they felt that their fascination for feet was innocently awoken by similar circumstances. It is not something that abates over time. Liking feet is a lifelong fascination that requires an open minded and loving spouse who can embrace this uniqueness. Above all, as our blog states, I believe that liking feet is fun and okay.

Wife: Also I consider liking feet to be when a person loves to have their feet touched in a sexual or non sexual way. In my case, it improves the intensity of my orgasms to have my feet touched during sex with my husband. I also love to have my feet massaged nightly or during quality time with my hubby. If I don’t have foot sex or receive proper foot attention on a regular basis I do tend to become irritable.

2. At what age did you decide that it was cool to use your feet during sex? (i.e., did you ever masturbate with your feet before meeting your spouse?)

Hubby: Once aware of this fascination, I didn’t think about using my own feet for sexual purposes as much as I was thinking that I needed to eventually find an open minded spouse who wouldn’t find my fascination weird or abnormal and would be open to trying foot sex or foot jobs in the bedroom. I can say that I was indeed blessed to have found her early in life.

Wife: I was 19 the first time that I had foot sex with my husband. To me it was a good thing that satisfied both my husband and I. I took psychology classes in College so I understood sexual contact, reflexology, and fetishes which were considered normal to a point. To me foot sex felt right and pleasurable with my husband.

3. Is this something both of you agreed upon right away at the beginning of your marriage or have you incorporated it in later years?

Hubby: I believe that honesty is the best approach. I told her early in our relationship that I was partial to feet. I truly believed that if she was the right spouse for me, that she would be able to accept this unique part of me and eventually embrace it. I took it slow and tried to explain to her why I liked feet, what I liked about her feet and especially let her know how pretty I thought they were. We did research together and then we started slowly with pedicures, foot massages, foot kissing and I let her decide her comfort level when trying foot sex. We experimented with foot jobs and foot sex and then talked openly about what we liked. With patience and understanding, her feet quickly became more and more comfortable with any activities in the bedroom and today, nearly twenty years later, it can be said that her feet often have a mind of their own and that they are indeed a large part of our sex life.

Wife: My husband and I talked about everything when we first became a couple. He was open and honest about his attraction to feet which felt right to me. I was open to trying it because I knew from my studies that different people were attracted to different body parts. I knew about foot fetishes from psychology books I read in High School and in College. To me it was a normal thing and a way to connect with my husband.

4. Does every sexual encounter between you include some sort of foot play?

Hubby: I would say that not every sexual encounter includes foot play. But her feet do tend to become involved probably at least 95% of the time in my estimation because we both know that it is something that turns each other on and that we both enjoy. It can be simply flirting, to foreplay, or something more. We do try other things in the bedroom just to keep things exciting and passionate that don’t involve feet and we are never shy about experimenting sexually.

Wife: Almost all sexual encounters between us include some type foot play. I achieve a more intense orgasm when my feet are touched during sex and I feel that my husband gets a better climax if my feet are touching him. We have been doing it for so long that foot play is a natural part of our sexual relationship.

5. I personally believe that having a full blown fetish can be unhealthy for couples. Fetish= not being able to get or maintain an erection without _______. (In this case, feet) Do you believe this is a fetish for you both? How do you feel about the healthiness of your relationship with regard to your focus on feet?

Hubby: The use of the word fetish in conjunction with feet tends to be a bit over dramatized and often carries a negative stigma due to harmful stereotypes portrayed in the mainstream media. I prefer to think of it as a foot fascination. But if the fascination is the only method in which one can achieve sexual gratification then it can indeed present a problem within the relationship. If unchecked to the point that a person ignores their partner’s sexual needs and selfishly only satisfies their needs then they would require professional help. However, in my extensive studies, I often reference an accepted classification tier that describes the five levels of those with any type of fascination. Most people fall within the first two classes and have an otherwise normal sex life. Those rare individuals who fall into the class three or above on the five tier classification cannot.

In our case, I don’t feel that this is a fetish for the both of us. We explore many other varieties and spices in our marriage bed that don’t involve feet. However, my wife does really enjoy having me touch her feet and I relish the opportunity to touch them as well. And it is this simple touch that quite often leads to other things in the bedroom. I think that this enhances our sexual intimacy in regards to frequency and quality. We are very comfortable with each other sexually and we have no problem communicating to each other about what we enjoy and would like to try within the bedroom. I believe this is because we have been able to embrace my foot fascination and incorporate it into our sex life without reservation. We have a very active sex life and we are still very much in love with each other even after nearly twenty years of marriage. My wife often calls me her sole mate as well as her soul mate and I am blessed to be both.

Wife: I personally feel that a fetish can be healthy in moderation. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with a fetish as long as you are in control and it doesn’t cause physical harm to you or your spouse. If you are talking about people who have a fetish that drives them to do illegal or forceful things to satisfy it, then yes that would be unhealthy. But in my opinion, a foot fetish is not harmful. To me the strong connection that my husband and I share with feet is healthy, fun and helps us connect on a different level than most couples.

Come back next week for part two of this interesting interview!

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September 30, 2010
Categories: Interviews . . Author: cumingirl . Comments: 2 Comments

The second in our interview series on Sex As We Age, this interview was done with a woman in her fifties.

What changes have you seen in your sex life as the two of you have matured in age?

Our sex life started out strong, then declined practically to the point of non-existence. There were a few years in the recent past where the number of times we had sex that year could be counted on one hand. The past three years, however, have seen a miraculous restoration, to a higher level of quantity and quality than even in our newlywed days.

What are the most important factors you have found to be supportive of a love life that grows in intimacy?

• time together–alone
• a lock on the bedroom door
• transparency about likes, dislikes, fantasies, concerns, fears, worries, sadnesses
• absolute commitment to God, to each other, and to the vows you made
• listening and acting when your spouse “just has a feeling” about someone of the other sex
• commitment to be sure your spouse doesn’t “go hungry” sexually—if they say they’re hungry- they’re hungry!
• both sweet and spicy talk and touch throughout the day

What obstacles did you find along the way that you had to overcome which were attributed to aging? How did you resolve them?

Decreased stamina, increased medical issues, stiff joints, changes in speed and intensity of response. Keep a close eye on all-around health, take supplements, allow more time for sex, try new positions, use toys

What advice would you give to a younger husband and wife to help ensure that when they are celebrating the silver and golden anniversaries, they still have a passion between them?

MOST IMPORTANT: Find a way to be able to talk about sex—anything about sex–with your spouse. Write a letter, send an email, make a video conversation, talk while you ride in the car, talk on the phone, sit (or lie) in the dark and talk, but TALK! Get it all out on the table.

How would you describe your sex life today terms of frequency, intimacy level, passion level and so on?

Frequency is usually once a day–or more. Recently on vacation, it was more like 3-4 times per day. Intimacy, we’re closer than ever, and can pretty much bare our souls to each other–with fantasies, concerns, or confession. Passion is still very hot. There are still times when one of us will say, “That was amazing! What you just did was the most intense __________ I’ve ever experienced!”

In what ways has your sex life become better in recent years?

Because of a commitment to meet each other’s sexual needs, and God’s miraculous intervention as we both prayed to be the lover the other one needed, we have gone from a sex life that was basically dead to a frequency and passion that would keep pace with most newlyweds. Plus, after so many years together, there is a “knowingness” to our intimacy that can only come with time.

November 16, 2009
Categories: Interviews . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 18 Comments

As per a recent announcement regarding interviewing women who are enjoying a passionate marriage bed in the more later years of their marriage, today I bring you the first feature on this topic. The couple I interviewed here are both close to the age of fifty.

1. What changes have you seen in your sex life as the two of you have matured in age?

We have seen changes for wonderful and challenging..for me..I had to deal with peri-menopause changes , such as the tissue in the vaginal area getting thinner and working with that ( luckily my doctor believes that the more sex the better to strengthen that area and I also use a estrogen cream occasionally if I need it…)
Dh ‘s was diagnosed with Low testosterone and we had to deal with that..and some beginning signs of ED which we have gotten past now..those were challenges…but we also have more time and energy without having a bunch of small kids to run after… we have learned to “savor” each other more along with quickies too..and we have been together for so long that we just really really know each other which makes for some awesome sex.

2. What are the most important factors you have found to be supportive of a love life that grows in intimacy?

Sharing ..not keeping things bottled up…addressing even the “embarrassing” problems..keeping God at the center ..willing to learn and change as we age and not getting “stuck in a rut”.

3. What obstacles did you find along the way that you had to overcome which were attributed to aging? How did you resolve them?

I addressed some of those in the first question…but as for me, I now at this age, sometimes have unexpected or extended periods..my cycles are not so regular as they were before..,if we allowed it to, this could put a damper on our love life…but we have found ways around that..on light days we just put a towel on the bed..heavier days we use the shower or the tub…On those days that it just is too uncomfortable or messy for me..I will give dh a HJ or OS..and this keeps things sizzling for us and keeps sex a priority..even when we can have PIV.
As for dh, he had lost most of his desire..we were concerned about this and had him tested to find out that he had low testosterone levels.he is now on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and his levels are back in the normal range so this has been resolved..he also experienced the normal occasional bouts of ED ..due to aging..by watching his diet and exercise and by keeping the lines of communication open between us ( this IS a biggie) his issue with this has resolved.

4. What advice would you give to a younger husband and wife to help ensure that when they are celebrating the silver and golden anniversaries, they still have a passion between them?

I would tell them to make there love life and intimacy a priority..things in life have a tendency to pull us in all directions..and when we add jobs and children and in laws and hobbies..it is easy to lose sight of where we are..we must make our spouses our priorities and our best friends..connection through sexual touch (kissing hugging etc..) and communication is needed on a daily basis if possible (if your spouse is in the military or works aways from home you need to be inventive in ways that you can “keep in touch)..and your time as a couple must be treated as important. You can not just expect to keep your relationship on a back burner to get to it when you have time.

5. How would you describe your sex life today terms of frequency, intimacy level, passion level and so on?

Dh and I on average have 2 times on sexual connection a day..for us this is a quickie in the am…sometimes PIV..sometimes I will give him OS..or he me…and then in the evening we always make time to have PIV sex..even if we have to record a favorite tv show to watch later..our sex life comes before that..and we make it a priority..
There are times in the middle of the night if one of us can’t sleep..we wake the other up for sex..even though we may have just had sex 3 hours before..and weekends are whenever we want.
As we have aged and have gotten to know each other so well..have been through may of life’s experiences together, it has had an unexpected benefit to our sex life in that we at times can seem like almost one…( Of course, this is how God intended) but at the beginning of our lives together it didn’t seem as possible to be “one ” as it does now.
Sometimes our sexual intimacy is slow and leisurely..I often ask my dh how he doesn’t get bored but he still after all these years tells me he finds my body fascinating and makes new discoveries about it every week…sometimes we have hot and heavy sex…and sometimes when we start , we don’t have any idea which way it will go..
That is the awesome and wonderful thing about sex..if you just let go and let it happen it has the potential to be so many things and never boring.

6. In what ways has your sex life become better in recent years?

The biggest change for us was getting dh’s health straightened out. Our sex life literally exploded when that happened. We also have more time to devote to us…it is easier to carve out the time now and we do..we take every opportunity to find time to do things as a couple that expand and develop out intimate lives.
We save up and take a cruise together once a year..just us..with no other family and we take that week to just totally focus on each other and it is wonderful..as a younger couple , we were limited to doing this on weekends..which was great..but it is even more awesome to have a week to do this.. And as I stated earlier..dh and I have been through so much together at this point..that we can take and discuss anything..nothing is taboo between us ..so that makes our level of intimacy and connection that much deeper.

October 26, 2009
Categories: Interviews . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 9 Comments

Last Monday we brought you Part One of this interview with Joe Beam. We are pleased to share Part Two with you today.

Joe Beam is an internationally recognized marriage expert and a dedicated Christian. The LovePath 911 seminar he leads has been researched by colleges and psychologists because of its unusually high level of saving marriages in trouble. Joe has been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Focus on the Family, The Montel Williams Show, MSNBC, Fox News, The Dave Ramsey Show and many other television and radio programs around the world. He is author of several books including his most recent, “Your LovePath,” which is a guide for rekindling lost love, for keeping love strong and for finding true love.  For more information on Joe, visit his website at http://www.joebeam.com.

As the tide turns in the Church and more people are becoming aware of the need for godly teaching about sex to be taught by the Church, what do you feel are the most beneficial settings for the teaching to happen? Should it come from the pulpit or in an adult only setting?

As one of the first to talk openly about sex from the Christian perspective, I received both compliments and complaints. An MSNBC poll about my teaching on sex showed that 17% of respondents were appalled. However, about 53% said they wish I were their pastor! When NBC’s Today Show invited me to take questions about sex live on the air with them, Lester Holt visibly perspired. (He’s a dedicated Christian, by the way.) When invited back to the Today Show a couple months later to be interviewed by Natalie Morales, I discovered that she thought I was talking about explicitly sexual matters from the pulpit on Sunday morning. She seemed relieved to discover that instead I did it in specific groups.

More ministers are talking about sex from the pulpit. My understanding is that most of them are doing generic teaching on the subject as opposed to dealing with specific sexual questions such as “is oral sex a sin?” I think it’s wise occasionally to do generic teaching from the pulpit such as preaching on 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 that clearly states that we should be sexually fulfilling in each other in marriage. However, in my opinion, more good is done with specific groups that can ask the questions that they wish to ask so that rather than talking “around” the matter, we can address openly and frankly the things they most wish to understand from a godly standpoint.

Note that I didn’t say “adults only” specific groups. I’ve been invited to talk with groups as young as middle school about these matters. I think that’s very wise. We should be teaching godly views of sex to everyone, edited, of course, to be age appropriate. Interestingly, the teen groups I’ve talked with about sex were much more knowledgeable about the matter than most of the adult groups.

I strongly urge that if there is to be a Biblical discussion of godly sex, it must be led by a spiritually mature man, woman, or couple that is comfortable with their own sexuality and unafraid to discuss frankly the real questions that people have. It is as important to emphasize the freedom and fun that a Christian married couple can have as it is to explain the prohibitions God gave us.

I sum up all the things we are not to do with three statements: 1) We must not allow, in either reality or fantasy, any other person than our spouse to be involved in our sex lives. 2) We must not involve any animal. Yeah, I know but it’s in the Book. 3) We must not do anything that harms either person physically, emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically.

That leaves many areas for exploration, fun, and fulfillment.

What are the signs of infidelity? If someone suspects that their spouse is committing adultery, what is the best course of action?

There are many signs of infidelity. Short of being caught, most are not conclusive in themselves, but as they begin to add up, they make a strong case that something is definitely amiss. Though it would be impractical to list every potential sign, these are some:

• Your spouse’s appearance (body shape, fragrances, or dress) has improved recently
• Money is unaccounted for
• Time is unaccounted for
• Cell phone bills are hidden and/or your spouse spends time on the phone where you cannot hear
• Facebook or email accounts are protected from you
• Your sex life recently changed (either more or less),
• You discovered that your spouse told you they would be one place and you discover they were in another
• Your spouse drifts from happiness to sadness to dreaminess to irritableness
• Your spouse starts telling you that you are “crazy” or confused when you question things
• Your spouse gets defensive when you ask about a certain person, activity, or time period

The first thing to do if you suspect your spouse of infidelity is to discover if s/he really is or if you are being overly suspicious or paranoid. I recommend the direct approach, “I need you to reassure me. Maybe I’m just feeling vulnerable, but I’m starting to worry about our relationship. Will you help me by making everything transparent for the next couple months so that I can find inner peace? Let me ask questions and see things and the like. I’m not accusing you; I’m asking you to help me with my fears.” If the spouse agrees, check bills and locations and those things randomly…but not too much or you’ll cause other problems with your spouse feeling trusted. If your spouse becomes defensive, angry, or indignant, it may be wise to start doing some checking on your own.

If you become convinced that your spouse is being unfaithful, get a wise third party to help you think through what to do next. Get that person’s opinion of what you’ve discovered. Before making any accusations, be as sure as you can be that you are right. If necessary and you can afford it, hire a detective. If you aren’t sure enough to make that step, maybe you need to rethink what you think you know.

Finally, once you are sure, get together a group to do an intervention. I will happily send you a link to a document that guides you step-by-step though that intervention process. Just email info@JoeBeam.com and ask for the Intervention Document.

If you intervene, be sure that you have a course of action in mind as to what should happen next. Successful interventions conclude with a call to a specific action; for example, “We want you to agree to attend LovePath 911 next month,” or “We’ve set up an appointment with this counselor…”

Pornography is such a tragic epidemic that is wrecking havoc in so many lives. As the target audience of our blog is wives, what action do you suggest that women take if their husband has a porn addiction?

I recently wrote an article “Internet Porn is the New Sex Ed” that you may find here. Porn isn’t just a male problem. Approximately 15% of men use porn compulsively, but nearly 5% of women do as well. The entire article contains very important information, but for now, I excerpt the following paragraphs…

As a proponent of fulfilling sex in Christian marriages, I shout from the rooftops that porn is not the answer to achieving that goal. It creates impossible expectations that lead to misery. If a couple pursues porn, they will drift emotionally from their partners into an imaginary world that will never exist in reality. They eventually will reach the point where their lovemaking relies on fantasy and not at all on intimacy between them. If you are both into porn in your marriage, please believe me when I say that my experience with thousands of couples demonstrates that you will develop problems with your intimacy, self-esteem, and fulfillment as a couple. Stop now. Save your future by rescuing your present.

If one of you is into porn and the other doesn’t know, don’t think that it isn’t hurting your marriage. Every exposure to porn immerses you into a fantasy world that erodes the reality you could have together. It will change you; maybe it has already. Think you can keep it a secret? Get real. When your spouse discovers, he or she will very likely feel betrayed, rejected, unattractive, and abandoned. As one woman said to me, “I wish I had the money to have cosmetic surgery from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet so that maybe my husband would want to look at me rather than those women on the Internet.” Even before your spouse discovers, you are programming your mind in a manner that leads inevitably to a lack of appreciation of and attraction to your mate.

If one of you is into porn and the other does know, the spouse not into porn should take the lead in demanding the removal of porn opportunities altogether. Get rid of the Internet, just as you would remove an addict’s access to alcohol. Check up on missing time and missing money. Seek out a Celebrate Recovery group in your area (you can find locations online). Finally, do something immediately to salvage the future you can have together. If your marriage is in trouble, let us help. Our success rate over the last decade is three out of four marriages, even when porn, adultery, or other things have deeply hurt the relationship. (See www.MarriageHelper.com)

If not us, let someone help. Don’t think a slap-on-the-wrist and a promise to do better will solve a problem that is deep-seated, especially an addiction such as porn.

I believe that a couple can overcome porn’s affects by learning a new kind of sex education. However, it is very unlikely that they will until they solve the problems in their marriage, especially unrealized expectations on the part of one, or feelings of betrayal by the other.

By the power of God, you can have a great marriage and a great sex life.

Act now. Save your future.
We are so thankful to Joe Beam for sharing his insights and wisdom with us. I know our readers will find this interview a very valuable resource. Thanks again!

October 5, 2009
Categories: Interviews . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 7 Comments

Joe Beam is an internationally recognized marriage expert and a dedicated Christian. The LovePath 911 seminar he leads has been researched by colleges and psychologists because of its unusually high level of saving marriages in trouble. Joe has been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Focus on the Family, The Montel Williams Show, MSNBC, Fox News, The Dave Ramsey Show and many other television and radio programs around the world. He is author of several books including his most recent, “Your LovePath,” which is a guide for rekindling lost love, for keeping love strong and for finding true love.  For more information on Joe, visit his website at http://www.joebeam.com.

Tell us about your LovePath 911 Marriage Seminar. Who is it for and what is the purpose of the seminar? What topics does it cover? If one spouse is resistant to the idea of trying this seminar, are there effective and reasonable ways to persuade them?

I developed LovePath 911 in 1999 as an intense three-day weekend to “turn around” marriages in crisis. In 2006, we engaged Jim Grayson, PhD, to survey our effectiveness over the first seven years. Three out of four couples were still together. That success rate is electrifying, especially when you consider that only couples in crisis come, and most of those have at least one spouse that did not want to save the marriage but came only to pacify their family, church, or friends, or to get concessions in the divorce.

LP911 helps people comprehend the underlying causes that got them into their current situation, the future each will have if they continue on their present course, and how to change course so that each of them will find true fulfillment. We cover areas ranging from how to stop hurting each other to how to overcome an affair, even if one of them is madly in love with someone else. It’s quite a comprehensive lineup – anger, forgiveness, personalities, life desires, negotiation, respect, commitment, and more. The workshop centers on a model we call the LovePath that visually demonstrates how people fall in love, fall out of love, fall in love with someone else, or fall in love with each other again, no matter what has happened beforehand. Couples come with issues that span the spectrum – stepfamilies, addiction, disrespect, constant arguing, affairs, parenting, drifting apart, financial stress, sexual disharmony, and more. No matter what the specific reason, research demonstrates that most people divorce because they don’t feel loved, liked, or respected. We start at that core and work out to the symptoms.

We’ve seen people convince their reluctant spouses to come by offering concessions in the divorce, asking that they try this one last thing so that each can depart with a clearer conscience and nearly anything else you can imagine. Many involve their pastors, the spouse’s family, their children, and respected friends. We have a document that provides several suggestions of potential avenues to convince the spouse to come. As far as I’m concerned, anything that is legal and ethical is fair game. We’ve learned that even when spouses come angry and resentful, our success rate continues to be three out of four. Just give us a chance.

Tell us about your Love, Sex and Marriage Seminar. What can couples expect when they attend this seminar?
Love, Sex & Marriage is a fun, informative, and stimulating one-day seminar packed with extremely important material thoroughly seasoned with hilarity. I focus on three areas: walking the LovePath, understanding each spouse’s personality, and increasing sexual satisfaction and enjoyment.

The LovePath visually demonstrates the process of falling in love and growing in love. I explain crucial areas of every relationship. The personality session visually demonstrates how couples can understand each other and how to use that understanding to change the way they communicate. The sex session uses Scripture and the latest scientific research to explain how to have an exciting sex life in marriage. That session ends with the audience anonymously submitting questions about anything concerning sex that they wish, and receiving straight and frank answers to those questions, no matter what they may be.

Churches and organizations around the world bring me in to do this daylong workshop for their members and communities.

What are a couple of key things that a husband and wife can do to most effectively improve their relationship?

We can sum a great deal of research spanning many years with this statement: Most people seek divorce because they do not feel loved, liked, or respected.

Similar research indicates that most affairs don’t begin as sexual liaisons but evolve from needing validation, friendship, and reciprocated love.

My experience with thousands of couples indicates that the aforementioned research is dead on. Those three things – needing to be liked, loved, and respected – lie at the base of most major marriage problems that I encounter. Sometimes it is because a person does not like, love, or respect self. More often, it is a lack of feeling liked, loved, and respected by one’s spouse. Therefore, the most basic advice I can give a person in any relationship is first to understand what would lead the other to feel that you like, love, and respect them. Your feeling that way toward them isn’t enough; they must feel that you do.

Feeling loved means feeling that the other person accepts you as you are, flaws and all, and genuinely cares about you. It includes feeling safe and being confident you will not be abandoned.

Feeling liked means feeling that the other person actually wants to be with you and enjoys it when they are. It doesn’t mean the other person says that they do; it means that you feel that their actions and priorities prove to you that they do.

Feeling respected means that the other person treats you as an equal in intelligence, emotion, and wisdom. Neither sits in judgment on the other, acts superior to the other, or tries to control what the other thinks, feels, or does. That doesn’t mean that you always agree – or that you accept destructive behavior – but it means that when you don’t think or feel the way the other wishes you would, they accept that you don’t and validate your right to differ from them.

I have heard you say that there is a process to falling in love and how this influences the success of marriages. Can you tell us more about this?
Falling in love is a process. If you follow the process you fall in love whether you mean to or not. If you vacate or violate the process, you fall out of love whether you mean to or not. The problem is that most of us not only don’t have any idea what the process is, we aren’t even aware that it exists.

It took an entire book, Your LovePath, to explain the LovePath, therefore I provide only the basic outline here. The first step is Attraction that draws you Closer to another. The second is Acceptance that leads you genuinely to Care about that person. The third is Attachment in which you Commit to that person. Aspiration occurs when you Cooperate with each other so that each of you helps the other achieve his/her life desires and dreams.

Of course, each of those steps has certain dimensions that make it work. When those things don’t happen, rather than moving up the LovePath you move down the LovePath and fall out of love. For example, the Attraction step includes one or more of the following; physical attraction, intellectual attraction, emotional attraction, and spiritual attraction. To the chagrin of Madison Avenue and “the beautiful people,” understanding those different areas of attraction gives as much hope to the emotionally attractive as it does to the physically attractive.

Each step is important to falling in love, staying in love, and growing in love. Ignore them and love fades.

We are looking forward to sharing Part Two of this interview next Monday. Stay tuned! You will not want to miss it!

September 28, 2009
Categories: Interviews . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 4 Comments

Last Monday we published part one of our interview with Lauren Jordan, Certified Sex Therapist. Today we a please to offer you part two.

Specific sexual issues:

8. What are the top issues that you see most prevalent in your clients?

The most common complaint for women is Low Libido, and for men, it is Early Ejaculation and Erectile Dysfunction. I also see a lot of women who have never had an orgasm.

9. What are the biggest factors in low libido?

The biggest reasons for low libido in my opinion are: sexual shame and guilt, relationship issues such as general disconnection, fears of intimacy, or buried resentments; unrealistic expectations about sex and romance, negative body image, sexual trauma, and fatigue from being over-committed with responsibilities.

10. There are so many women who struggle with achieving consistent orgasms or orgasms at all. What medical conditions can effect a woman’s orgasmic function? For women for whom it is psychological, what do you suggest women do to overcome this mental block?

Medications such as SSRI anti-depressants (prozac, lexapro, Zoloft, paxil) can both decrease libido and make it more difficult or impossible to have an orgasm. Anti-seizure medications can also interfere with orgasmic ability, as can neurological disorders. Almost all of the factors that can interfere with desire can also limit or interfere with orgasmic potential. It is a huge list of factors – see my eBook for a complete description. The treatment is to determine which factors are getting in your way and work to resolve them.

11. We hear frequently from couples who are dealing with pornography, and its devastating effects on their marriage. Do you have experience counseling couples in this area? In your experience, is pornography addiction directly related to any sexual issues and dysfunctions?

I have seen a growing amount of pornography addiction in recent years. It can be devastating to a couple – as devastating as an actual affair. An addiction can be born out of the sexless marriage – especially if the low libido partner has refused to listen to the other partner’s needs and wishes, or is unwilling to do anything about it. I’m not saying this is right, just that it happens. A male who has a fear of intimacy, negative body image, buried resentments towards his wife, feels sexually inadequate,and/or performance anxiety may retreat into porn as an emotionally safer substitute.

12. Although our blog is targeted at married women, we have many male readers. Do you find that men are more reluctant to come in for therapy? Do you have any specific areas that you specialize in for men?

I think it is difficult, anxiety-provoking and embarrassing for men and women to enter sex therapy. Men can seem to have more motivation to break through this because of their generally higher sex drives. When the issue is her low libido, most men are willing to come in for couples sessions – possibly because they see the problem as hers, rather than his or theirs, and may feel less embarrassed. However, there is almost always a relational contribution to a partner’s low libido.

I work with men on sexual problems such as Early Ejaculation, Erectile Dysfunction, Low Libido, Lack of Orgasm, Sex Addiction or concern about a particular fantasy or Fetish. I think men have the additional barrier of thinking that seeking help is not “manly” and I am sure there are many men out there who would never consider sex therapy even if their problem is ruining their relationship. After the first session, often both men and women tell me that they feel a huge sense of relief after having the chance to talk openly about their concerns without being judged in a negative way. They say they feel hopeful about being able to solve their problem now.

We are so thankful for Lauren Jordan’s willingness to give us her professional perspective on these questions. They will certainly be a valuable resource for our readers and I am particularly hopeful that much of the mystery behind sex therapy has been removed. To contact her please use the following information:

Lauren Jordan, LCSW, CST

Lauren has a workshop coming up. Feel free to check it out.

WHEN THERE’S NO SEX IN YOUR CITY: A Workshop for Women about Sex, Intimacy & Desire
October 24, 2009. Contact: lauren@BoostYourLowLibido.com

September 14, 2009
Categories: Interviews . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 1 Comment

Lauren Jordan, LCSW, CST is Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a Certified Sex Therapist (through AASECT). She has been providing therapy for individuals, couples, families and groups since 1986 in her Dallas, Texas private practice. Her website is www.BoostYourLowLibido.com. She can be emailed at lauren@BoostYourLowLibido.com, or contacted at the phone number below.

Lauren Jordan, LCSW, CST

General questions:

1. Explain why a woman or a couple would see a sex therapist instead of a regular marital therapist?

I wrote a blog called “I wish we had seen a Sex Therapist” earlier this year because I was hearing from many clients who expressed frustration that they had chosen to see a general Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) when they had a sexual concern like low libido, difficulty with arousal and orgasm, erectile dysfunction or early ejaculation.

They told me that they felt that they had wasted time, energy and money seeing therapists who seemed embarrassed even broaching sexual subjects. It is so difficult for anyone to go to therapy for a sexual issue, but if you get there and your therapist is literally blushing when you mention his erection problems, or your difficulty achieving orgasm, you will likely feel worse than you did originally! And that is precisely what these couples told me – they felt like they had already DONE a lot of therapy, and they were feeling cynical and even hopeless about tackling their problem. With education, this doesn’t have to happen to even one more couple!

Another problem with working with a MFT is that they have not had specialized training about sexual functioning, and sex therapy techniques. This means that even if they are comfortable dealing with the subject matter, they usually focus on resolving OTHER issues that may be contributing to your sexual problems, thinking that if these issues, such as communication problems, a lack of time together and connection, or conflict resolution skills are added, the sexual problems will JUST GO AWAY. What Sex Therapists know is that the data does not prove this to be true.

Yes, Sex Therapists do address other issues that may contribute to a woman’s low desire, or a man’s early ejaculation – but we know this is not enough without specific sex therapy techniques such as talking in very detailed ways about what happens in the bedroom, and in both partners’ minds and bodies; and then using carefully crafted exercises and interventions to remedy them.

Most of these clients told me that they had done so because the MFT was a provider on their insurance panel, so they had considerably less out of pocket expense. Most Certified Sex Therapists (CST) do not take insurance directly, because we are specialists in high demand – there are only a handful in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. Ironically, a decision that was made to save money, ended up not only not doing so, but had an emotional and relational cost that was incredibly higher.

If you have a sexual problem, see a specialist – a Certified Sex Therapist. Seeing a Marriage and Family Therapist is like going to your Family Practice Physician when you have heart disease and need a Cardiologist.

2. We sometimes advise couples to seek help from a sex therapist, but find they are very apprehensive about going. Can you explain what a couple can expect on their first visit to see you?

So many women have told me that their physician gave them my card a year ago – and have had a tremendous struggle with actually making that first call. It takes a lot of courage to call a Sex Therapist! One reason for this is that people are not sure exactly what Sex Therapists do and do not do – and some think a CST is actually a Sex Surrogate, who has sex with her clients to help them resolve their sexual problems. Certified Sex Therapists do not have sex with clients – ever! It is highly unethical, just as it is with a Marriage and Family Therapist. We do not have you do sexual activities in our offices, whether you are there individually or with your partner.

Sex Therapy is a focused type of talk therapy. We talk about your concerns. In the first sessions, we do just that, in order to get a full idea of what your current life is like, and what you would like it to be like. I do give a lot of homework assignments, which may be writing assignments, or non-sexual touching assignments, and usually progress to more sexual kinds of touching assignments – all of which you do in the comfort and privacy of your own home. There is not one prescription of exercises, as they are designed specifically for you and your partner to help you overcome the challenges that you have.

Another reason that people may carry my card around for a year before contacting me is that our society is profoundly sex-negative. Yes, on the one hand we are inundated with sex on tv, advertising, etc. But unfortunately, most of us, especially women, were never given gentle guidance and information about our bodies (beyond menstruation and reproduction) sexual functioning. The silence can be deafening – we are left to think that if no one talks about it, it must be very bad! This is how sexual shame, which I discuss a lot of my site, and with my clients, is born. It doesn’t come out of nothing.

If you have shame about sex – it will be very vulnerable and embarrassing to call a Sex Therapist for help with a sexual issue. First, you will be breaking the code of silence, about not talking about sex, and second, you may feel that you should never HAVE a sexual problem! That is a double-whammy! People do have sexual problems – just like they have relationship problems, financial problems, parenting challenges, work & career problems, and on and on. Thinking that you are the only one, and that you shouldn’t have any issues with sex, just makes it harder to take steps to resolve the problem.

So your first visit to a Sex Therapist would include filling out paperwork, then discussing your concerns, and then leaving with some homework to do on your own, and bring back to the next session. That’s it. You should feel respected, understood, and that your therapist seems to be someone who can help you. If you don’t, you might consult another Sex Therapist, as it is always important to feel there is some “fit” with your therapist.

3. Can you give examples of homework exercises that you might give a couple?

Some of the written exercises ask couples to think about how they learned about sex, and what they learned about it, to help them understand how it affects them today. I also use questionnaires which help determine what factors (there are many) are getting in their way of desiring or enjoying sex.

A common touching exercise would be to take an hour and take turns being the giver and receiver of touch, without any touching of the genitals, buttocks or breasts. The couple is also told NOT to have any type of sex during or after the exercise. Often couples have either gotten into ruts with their sexual routines, or have so little time that they rush through foreplay, and don’t take the necessary time to get fully aroused. An exercise like this can help couples reconnect with touch, explore what types of touch they like to give and receive in an atmosphere free of pressure to perform.

4. Does it always work best for both spouses to come together, or is there ever a time where it is best to just work one on one with the wife or the husband?

I have certainly worked individually with people on sexual issues, and it can work to do so. In general, it helps to see the couple together to get both partners’ perspectives. It depends upon what their concerns are as far as whether it would be an option for them. Of course, some partners may never be willing to come in, so individual or group work is the only option.

5. We know you aren’t a “Christian” therapist, but do you have any experience seeing women who are struggling with feelings of shame and/or guilt in their marriage because of strict teachings from their parents growing up, or from the church?

A huge part of the work I do with both men and women involves addressing sexual shame and guilt generated from sex-negative teachings from parents, schools, and religious institutions. Some of the messages were direct, such as “all boys want is to get into your pants” and some were indirect as in never talking about sex in the family at all. Silence can be a profound message: this subject is so bad that we will not utter its name in our house.

I find that doing the women’s workshops and groups are a great way to reduce shame and guilt. Women tell me that they felt liberated to be in an environment where it could be talked about openly with other women who have struggled as they have. The “I’m not alone!” feeling is very healing.

6. Can you share your opinion on what role masturbation could play in marriage?

I know that a lot of folks think that masturbation is wrong. While I do not share that view, and will respect a client’s decision about whether to include self-stimulation in his or her program to resolve sexual problems, I do think it can have a positive role in a marriage.

First, masturbation is a wonderful training ground for learning your own body’s sexual arousal and response. Learning alone can take the pressure off because you aren’t worried that your partner will get tired, bored or frustrated, or take it personally if you don’t have an orgasm. For this reason, I will broach the possibility of using masturbation as a step in the process of couples therapy. Some women (I say women because men usually begin masturbating in adolescence, and it is the rare man who has never masturbated) can allow themselves to use masturbation in this limited way, knowing that the purpose is moving them towards a fulfilling sex life with their husbands. Some are never going to feel this is ok, and there are other ways of working on this. I would never insist that anyone try masturbating if they do not feel right about it.

For women who have low libidos, masturbating can actually help to increase their libidos, which is the opposite of what one might think. Women tell me, “with so little desire, I should direct what I have towards my husband!” Self-stimulation can help a woman learn what she wants from her partner, and can make sex more satisfying, so that she wants it more frequently. It also helps her to acknowledge the sexual part of herself.

Masturbation can also provide some satisfaction when your partner is ill, traveling, or just has a lower level of desire than you do. It doesn’t have to take away from the relationship – though it can if it is done excessively.

7. What therapy options are available for men and women? Do you have group therapy and individual options?

Besides doing the individual and couples sessions, I offer Women’s Groups and Workshops such as “When there’s no sex in your city: a workshop for women on sex, intimacy and desire” and “Orgasm 101”. I have done workshops live in my conference room (up to 30 people), and by phone conferencing so that women can call in from wherever they are. Discovering Your Sexual Self small groups for women meet in my office and are for 4-8 women, usually for a series of meetings over several months. All of these combine sex education, discussion and homework exercises to keep you moving towards your goals.

I also have an eBook called “No Room For Sex: How To Boost Your Low Libido” which is available only through my website at http://www.BoostYourLowLibido.com.

You can buy the book alone, or the book and two personal email consultations.

I have had women come in from other states to attend a workshop, and I am likely to begin traveling to other locations to do my workshops. So there are a number of options.

Part Two of our interview with Lauren Jordan will follow next Monday.

September 7, 2009
Categories: Interviews . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 1 Comment

There are so many wonderful seasons in marriage and having an empty nest can be a really sweet time for a couple who has worked hard to raise their kids and can now sit back and enjoy their years of effort. Unfortunately if the couple hasn’t stayed connected all those years, it can also be a very difficult time. Suddenly they are in their home without the distraction of children and they find that they don’t know each other much better than they did at the outset of their marriage. Since all of us CN girls still have our children living at home with us, I wanted to interview a friend who has recently said good bye to her youngest and is now reaping the benefits of sowing good seeds in her marriage.

Christian Nymphos: Were you always a passionate woman or did you experience an awakening at some point? Tell us a little about your story.

Michelle: I did have an awakening, however it was after I turned 40 years old. I have always been high energy etc. and passionate yet, I knew ‘something’ was still missing. I had to figure out who I was, being confident of how God wanted me to be and not formed to the world. So, with a lot of studying, praying, counseling, and ‘work’ I found myself to be me! No one better to be … than yourself. Along, with that simple idea came empowerment, and my awakening. As well as no fear in trying new different sexual things. study study study!!

CN: Being a mother to our kids and a lover to our husbands is a hard thing to balance out sometimes. What have you found to be helpful in maintaining a healthy balance in this?

M: It is very hard to balance, however, organizing what I could, freed up a lot of time for everyone. Boundaries became ‘freedom within a framework’ … ex. playing sports was definitely a must for our boys, so we had to say no to other things during sports. As a wife, I had to be the gatekeeper of the house … balancing time for myself was the hardest. We set up babysitting co-ops when the boys were younger and really worked hard to have date nights weekly and I had to schedule alone time for myself.

CN: What where the biggest challenges in balancing motherhood and an active sex life with your husband when your kids were really little?

M: Time and location!!

CN: How about when they were in elementary school?

M: Here were a lot of late rendezvous … and ‘scheduling sex’ I know that sounds rigid … but I actually would look forward to Thursdays!! Knowing that was our targeted day …life seemed so busy with everything.

CN: What about as teenagers?

M: This was an interesting phase of our lives. Having all boys in the house seemed easy, in that there was always food … games … and they wanted to talk~when they wanted to talk. We could really schedule us time around their schedules and even, take advantage of them being able to be on
their own often. They had to see that mom & dad disagree, but we were always “in love” and united as a team. Flirting in front of them allowed them to see healthy interaction between male and female. My husband has always been one to teach and show manners towards how a man treats a woman. Boys so need this …. we’ve never allowed locking doors, because a closed door means privacy – knock before entering etc. However, being mom … I have locked our bedroom door a few times!!

CN: So many of us get so tired as moms that we end up sacrificing intimate time with our husbands. What is your advise for this?

M: You can’t do and be any thing to anyone if you aren’t rested yourself …. how does this work? I remember having friends that would help me … and I would help them. We had talk sessions on: what works, what doesn’t. I’m making a casserole and have extra for another, and we’d share … it was networking and sharing what I had and sharing what they had. I remember one friend actually helping me get my laundry done because I felt so far behind. It seemed ridiculous at the time, but it seemed to be such a burden for me … and she helped! it gave me 4 extra hours that I needed. And then the most freeing concept was … not everything has to get done, I don’t have to be ‘perfect’ … my family is growing and soon they will be out on their own. So, to enjoy them kids and hubby in the moment. Sounds cliché but really!!! it’s true.

CN: What can we do to make sure we aren’t expending all our energy on our kids, leaving nothing for our husbands or ourselves?

M: When they nap, when they are at practice, I HAD TO have down time. I have a favorite chair that I would just sit, read, and or rest in. It still is my favorite chair in the house. Sometimes, I would unplug the telephone/computer /cellphone for 30 minutes of quiet, prayed a lot about having enough energy for my hubby.

CN: What about privacy issues?

M: Use your humor. Have code words. We have the word game. Depending on what time of the year it is, I would choose a word then explain to my husband what I was thinking, what I’d like to be doing etc. so it would build the anticipation between the two of us .. so we could work together to get things done so we would have time alone.

CN: How can we get the intimate times we need with our husbands with kids running all through the house?

M: That’s so hard. Letting each other know that the desire is there, flirting, even ‘flashing’ each other .. do you need help in the garage ? can we go to the car wash together? stolen moments … but knowing that when we are together you have my 100% undivided attention.

CN: How do we communicate that we have a satisfying sex life without giving too many details to our children?

M: This seemed easy to us. Children must know that mom and dad are soooooooooooo in love, and sex is apart of that (age appropriate) and that the best is when 2 are married, and kissing and private times are apart of life like breathing. Boys tend to hear things and ask vivid Q’s. We’ve learned not to laugh or freak out .. but definitely know what they are talking about … discuss it, always communicate that when married that it is absolutely acceptable. Each married couple will have ‘things’ they so enjoy doing and etc. When they ask details of our sex life … we just confirm that we enjoy each other, they way God intended etc. .. but never divulging details. They’ve asked about our private sexy Christmas stocking, because they are older I have told them what is in there (toys, lubes, etc.) … for our enjoyment. They can’t wait until they are married, so their wives can talk to mom-in-law.

CN: How sweet is the dessert of an empty nest?

M: This has been a roller coaster. Yea! Their gone. Had to adjust everything, but the ‘freedom’ to have sex whenever has been a joy and being able to be nude in the house is freeing … not worrying who was in the house etc. Still having to schedule some, and being organized has really freed us up to travel and do things together .. just as when the boys were younger.

CN: Was it sweet from the start or a difficult transition?

I wouldn’t say difficult just different. What a phase transition!! Still mom and dad yet not under our roof anymore. Different thoughts, such as downsizing … less food to purchase …. however, so many new found freedoms too.

April 22, 2009
Categories: Interviews . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 2 Comments