Watch out for work friends

Let’s say you have a flirtatious relationship with one of your co-workers. You talk with him about everything: your hobbies, your job, your husband.

So, when does this friendship cross the line? The April issue of Women’s Health says you should be able to be open with your mate about your work friend and what the two of you talk about. If you find that you’re being secretive about your colleague, you may be in trouble.

To keep the friend/spouse relationship defined, make sure you’re not talking to your co-worker about any marital problems, especially if you haven’t been open about them with your husband. And survey how much energy you’re putting into your two relationships. Your spouse should be receiving more of your attention.

Fun fact

Courtesy of Women’s Health: The National Center for Health Statistics surveyed more than 60,000 women to find out how many sexual partners they’ve had. The study found that of women ages 20 to 24, 7 percent had more than 15 partners, while 9 percent were virgins. Of women ages 30 to 34, 11 percent had more than 15 partners; 1 percent had zero bedmates.

Couple care

Parents are always on the go, so it’s important that moms and dads make a little time for themselves. The April issue of Parenting offers a few suggestions:

¢ Go on regular midweek dates. If you pick a Tuesday or a Wednesday, restaurants aren’t as busy, and there’s not as much competition for finding a babysitter.

¢ Enjoy each other’s company. Even if you’re just doing yard work or cleaning out the basement, use the time you have together to talk about your relationship or just catch up on what you’ve been doing.

¢ Schedule weekly “business” meetings. One night a week, talk about household issues, such as car repairs or broken appliances. If you get those subjects out of the way, you can have more quality time the other six days of the week.