Like Buyback, Honeymoon is also a lovely part of the Cycle of Violence. It is the stage where any promises made during Buyback may actually be kept, once or twice. 
It is a stage of upping the anti around trapping you into staying in the claws of the Cycle of Violence.
During Honeymoon, all appears well. The perpetrator is attentive to your every need. He treats you and your children well. He may go to counseling. He may begin to change his behavior. He may even stop himself at times, rephrase his words, and apologize for falling back to his old ways. He may suggest that the family have a holiday together, move to a different location to escape bad influences or other pressures.
The perpetrator may even allow you to reconnect with people or things that he had previously viewed as being bad for you. He begins to lessen the obvious control he has over you. These changed behaviors that he is using are control tactics of difference. It is still control but refocused to look as though it is love and concern for you, and change for him.
Unless the perpetrator is willing to make lasting change, to learn about his violent behaviors, to relearn new ways of behaving and find different, non violent ways of expressing himself, his acts of Honeymoon behavior are nothing more that the continued Cycle of Violence. He is kidding himself and you, into believing that all is well. He may well be worthy of an Oscar for his excellent portrayal of loving father and husband, but actors of renown are exactly that: actors.
You may notice during this stage that neither of you are quick to discuss the recent violence. A fear of bringing up the past may creep into your soul. You are so concerned with keeping the relationship on the good path that it is on that you place all your energy into rewarding him for showing his commitment to change. Once you do this, the perpetrator begins to drop his good behaviors and quickly moves back to a more regular way of behaving.
Tomorrow we’ll look at this more regular behavior in the fifth stage of the Cycle of Violence: Normal.
What’s the best Honeymoon experience you can recognize in the Cycle of Violence? It may have happened to you, or to a friend. By sharing it, you will give others insight into how dangerous and charmingly persuasive the Honeymoon stage is.