Renovate your Relationship is a booklet about men maintaining their relationships. It’s designed to get men to think about the practical side of relationship maintenance and how to do it. Men sometimes overlook problems in their relationships and may only notice warning signs when it is too late. This resource has been created and updated by Relationships Australia and MensLine Australia to help men identify the cracks forming in their connections before the foundations fall and to empower them to act and reduce the severity of these cracks.
Relationships Australia Victoria CEO Dr Andrew Bickerdike says, “This manual has always been one of our most popular resources. Working with their partners, men are increasingly taking responsibility for the quality and nurturance of their intimate relationships. This updated edition provides practical guidance for men who aspire to safe, fulfilling, and equal partnerships with their loved ones.”
MensLine Australia is delivered by On the Line, a professional social health organisation that delivers outsourced telephone and digital counselling solutions. Samantha Fredericks, CEO at On the Line says, “The Renovate your Relationship manual offers men the tools to recognise early warning signs and communicate with their partner to create stronger foundations for the future. MensLine is pleased to be working with Relationships Australia on this important project.”
Dom Alford, Support for Fathers Project Coordinator at Relationships Australia, played a key role in updating this booklet and says of the relaunch, “This is a great resource to help men figure out what’s working well and what’s not in their relationships by using the tools they already have and giving them some new ones”.
There are 13 project tools in this booklet that men can refer to when they feel their relationships may need some attention:
- Working together
- Avoiding misunderstandings
- Sharpen your tools
- Resolving conflict
- When the roof blows off! Dealing with anger and frustration
- Who has the power? Abuse and violence
- Self-maintenance
- Renovate your sex life
- Love
- Valuing differences
- Appreciation
- When trust breaks down
- Children – planning for the extension.
Each tool comes with key points and checklists of things to consider and do, expressed in plain and practical language. Quotes from men who have had relationship troubles, and have worked on these areas, are also scattered throughout the booklet.
To purchase a hard copy of Renovate your Relationship: A manual for men, contact Relationships Australia or download the PDF free of charge.
