If you wish someone would distil all the world’s marriage and relationship advice books down into one easy to use 12-step plan, Phoebe Hutchison is about to make you very happy.

Phoebe is the author of “Honeymooners Forever: Twelve Step Marriage Survival Guide”, a book originally conceived a decade ago  to save her own failing marriage.

It worked, and 12 steps later, Phoebe is still married to her husband today, the happy couple living in Melbourne with their two children.

 

According to Phoebe, the 12 steps to a happy marriage are:

• Step 1: Treat your partner like a lover, not a spouse.
• Step 2: Be yourself and allow your partner to be himself.
• Step 3: Communicate well every day.
• Step 4: Invest time and money into your relationship weekly.
• Step 5: Stop finding fault and start praising.
• Step 6: Plan the romance.
• Step 7: Restore the passion.
• Step 8: How to avoid or survive an affair.
• Step 9: Children should enhance, not destroy, your marriage.
• Step 10: Argue effectively.
• Step 11: Improve your financial situation.
• Step 12: Avoid or survive everything else life throws at you.

 

The most important factors according to Phoebe are that we make time for our partners, communicate with them, argue effectively, and treat our partners as lovers instead of spouses.

 

 More info

Honeymooners Forever: Solving marriage problems – official website