work on relationshipsThe Three Year Itch  has replaced “The Seven Year Itch, ” as the turning point where couples begin to take each other for granted, according to a new survey.  Weight gain, greed, toe nail remains on the bathroom floor and snoring are some of the spoilers of passion that has led to a faster decline in relationships in the 21st century. This according to a study commissioned by Warner Brothers to promote the release of the new film, “Hall Pass” that is being released in the UK.

The survey of 2,000 British adults in steady relationships identified 36 months as the time when relationship stress peaks and points to a new trend of “pink passes” and a “solo” vacations from partners and spouses that many British couples resort to in order to keep romance alive.

“More working hours combined with money problems are clearly taking its toll on modern relationships and we are seeing a growing trend for holidays alone and weekends away in marriages and relationships in order to rekindle the romantic spark” said pollster Judi James, who oversaw the survey.

The opinion poll for those in short-term relationships (defined as less than three years) and those who were married or in long-term partnerships.  The results showed that 67 percent of all respondents said that small irritations that are seemingly harmless and often go ignored during the early stages of love often expands into major irritations around 36 months.

More than half of British respondents (52 percent) who are in relatively new relationships, said that they enjoyed having sex at least three times a week, compared to only 16 percent of those that have been in relationships over three years.

This suggests that as we grow older together, the romance gives way to the practical day to day stuff that often penetrates relationships, this is supported by the fact that 55 percent of the people engaged in long-term relationships must now admit to having to “schedule” romantic time with their partners and spouses.

The report also said that those in the first stages of love couples can look forward to an average of three compliments a week from their partners – a figure which falls to an average of a single weekly compliment at the three-year high tide mark.

The prognosis gets worse the longer we stay in relationships, three in ten respondents who have been in a relationship for five years or more, said they have never received compliments from their partners.

The results also showed that over three quarters (76 percent) of all respondents said that “personal space is important” in a relationship and referred to an increase in individual activities.

One third (34%) of those who have been with their partner for more than three years have at least two nights a month defined as a “pass” or a “ticket”, where it is acknowledged that they can pursue their own interests and 58 percent from the same sample group to enjoy regular holidays without their partners.

Here are the top 10 everyday relationship niggles and passion killers:

1. Weight gain or lack of exercise, 13 percent

2. Money and spend thriftiness, 11 percent

3. Anti-social working hours, 10 percent

4. Hygiene problems (personal hygiene), 9 percent

5. In-Laws/extended family – too much or too little, 9 percent

6. Lack of romance (sex, gifts, date nights), 8 percent

7. Alcohol – drinking too much, 7 percent

8. Snoring and anti-social bedtime habits, 6 percent

9. Lapsed fashion-same old underwear/clothes, 4 percent

10. Bathroom habits – Stray nail clippings, hair in the sink, etc, 4 percent.

Reuters: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110308/lf_nm_life/us_couples_survey

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