The article discusses the common challenges faced by parents in maintaining intimacy while co-parenting. A mother expresses her concerns about their diminished sex life despite a strong friendship with her husband. Penelope, the columnist, highlights that erotic attraction needs novelty and distance, contrasting with the stability required in co-parenting. She references the Mosuo people’s tradition of 'walking marriage' to illustrate alternative relationship dynamics, suggesting that contemporary marriage structures may hinder intimacy due to the demands of family life.
“Erotic attraction requires chemistry, but also a certain amount of distance, mystery, novelty, and surprise. Co-parenting while married requires the opposite: consistency, collaboration, and trust.”
“When I think about all the couples I know who have struggled (and sometimes failed) to merge the two, I also find myself questioning Western assumptions around modern marriage and the nuclear family.”
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