EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Since 1981, October has been commemorated as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The observance serves to educate communities, individuals, couples and families about services and community resources that can help prevent, raise awareness of community responsibility and resources for addressing domestic abuse.
The best prevention measure each one of us can take is to be proactive in building healthy resilient relationships that can stand up to stressors when they arise. Relationships are a lot like cars, they need regular preventive maintenance and checkups to keep them running smoothly.
I challenged my husband to do something this month to strengthen our marriage. The look I got at first was “you want me to do what?” but after a little coaxing he agreed to do the Love Every Day challenge.
This free interactive tool for mobile phones prompts couples, via text, to connect in new ways. Both partners answer one question each day for 21 days. Questions can focus on what you love about one another, provide you with new ways to get to know each other, share thoughts and memories, and show you care in fun ways. Our first question asked us what we remembered about the first time we met. Just thinking back to that time brought a smile to my face. This tool can be used by searching love.resilienceboost.
Team Eglin offers lots of programs for military members, civilian employees and immediate family members designed to enrich intimate partner relationships and maintain a healthy connection by helping couples develop better communication skills and rekindle the romance and to help strengthen the parent child bond. These programs include:
· Couples LINK (Lasting Intimacy through Nurturing Knowledge and Skills)
· Active Parenting of Teens
· 5 Love Languages of Adults
· 5 Love Languages of Children
· 5 Languages of Apology
· Relationship Coaching
· Dad’s 101: The Basics
· Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage
The Airman & Family Services tab on eglinlife.com or Airman and Family Readiness Center (850-882-9060) can provide more information on these programs.
Eglin Family Advocacy Program (850-883-8616) also holds relationship and parenting class for military members and their families.
Military members can access free, confidential, relationship and other non-medical counseling services through Military OneSource. Civilian employees can access free services through the Employee Assistance Program by calling 800-222-0364.