Marriage is the most personal and intimate relationship, and, at the same time, one of the most critical and challenging relationships in any person’s life.
Marriage does not come with an instruction manual, but the fact is, there are many things other than love and passion that directly affect the fact is your marriage, such as honesty, reliability and communication. Following are some tips for you on how to improve your marriage:
Tip 1: Listen to your partner’s needs in order to avoid conflict (and therefore marital problems) in the future
One of the biggest hurdles in marriage is communication failure. If you want to have a good marriage, you must listen to what your husband has to say – and he should do the same. You will not agree on everything, and it is therefore utterly important that you are willing to listen to each other. When you disagree on something, try to look at the situation realistically, listen to each other’s arguments and feelings, and try to find a compromise that both of you can live with.
Tip 2: Let your spouse know that you trust and love him
Show your husband how much you love and appreciate him. You may want to shower him with a few unique little gifts or surprise him with a special romantic dinner from time to time – or give him a massage when he comes home after a hard day’s work at the office. This shows that you care about him and have his needs in mind. Men also appreciate an honest compliment from their wives every now and then. Another nice gesture is to let your husband know that he has pleased you in some way, and to thank him for being mindful and thinking of you. Expressing appreciation and trust shows that you love and respect him. It will reassure him and remind him of how much he means to you.
Tip 3: Let your partner know what is essential to you and what is not that important
Be sure to express your personal likes and dislikes. Some of his behavior may be unacceptable to you, and you need to communicate that – first of all because it’s only fair that he knows, and it also gives him a chance to change. Equally important is for you to ask your husband about his needs and wants. You might be surprised at the things he does not like about your marriage and the things you could change to make him happier. Let him know that you care enough to find out what is important to him.
Tip 4: Communicate with each other – not just in bed
Talk more, and do not just let things stew inside of you – it won’t help your marriage, if you regularly blow up in the middle of an argument or get defensive whenever your husband brings something up. Yes, good sex can make amends after a fight and always helps to make both of you feel better, but it cannot replace communicating with one another. We only have words to express our expectations and frustrations, so make use of them.
Quote: “Communication is not only one of the most important keys to a happy marriage, but it is also the only key.”
Tip 5: Do not let the dishes and laundry pile up
Meal preparation and doing housework thoroughly and with attention to detail are some good ways to show your husband that you care. Keeping a tidy house, especially with little children running around is not an easy task, but all worth it, because it keeps your family from living in – and feeling like – your life is total chaos. Be sure that both of you have clearly communicated and come to an agreement when dividing up the household chores. You should share equal responsibilities within a marriage, independent of whether one earns more money than the other or performs more household duties.
Tip 6: Do not just sit in front of the television all day
You won’t improve your marriage by sitting in front of the TV all day or evening. Instead, find out what your partner enjoys doing, and then join him. If you want to improve your marriage, you should make sure to be actively involved in your spouse’s life. Even if you do not like football, for example, it may still be a good idea to join him every now and then when he’s on his way to his favorite game. Sitting in front of a television daily only sends a message of disinterest to your partner.
Tip 7: Don’t be too demanding when your spouse comes homes from work late
If your spouse has to work late on a regular basis, do not be too demanding after he comes home. He will be tired and exhausted, and the last thing he needs is a bitchy and demanding wife. Just be there for him and with him, and try to be attentive to his needs. He will appreciate you caring and recognizing the hard work he is putting in for both of you.
Tip 8: Do not be too jealous of his life outside of the marriage
It is natural for all of us to want to stay in touch with old friends and acquaintances, even after getting married. As your spouse visits with friends or invites them to your house, it’s not a good idea if you start getting jealous of his friends – or any of your spouse’s other lifestyle choices, unless they hurt your relationship. You should have been able to get a glimpse of each other’s lifestyle choices before you got married, and, unless your husband seems to be spending more time with his friends than with you, there is no reason to complain.
Tip 9: Make sure that you are both happy in your marriage before starting a family
Is a good idea to wait with having kids until after you have been married for a while and know that your spouse has fully committed to the relationship. Take time to keep getting to know each other as husband and wife and enjoy this special time where it’s just the two of you. Having and raising children is a big commitment and once you have your first baby, your focus will be more on the child. You may already want to talk about your idea of family before you get married, to make sure that you both have the same ideas regarding children.
Tip 10: Decide to stay together
It is not easy to maintain a happy relationship over a long period of time, in fact, it’s hard work – and it takes your commitment to make it work. There will be times where you end up arguing and hurting one another, feel excluded or unappreciated. It then takes your commitment to the marriage to keep you from giving up when things get rough. Take time to reflect why you are in this relationship and why your partner matters to you… what his qualities are and the things you especially like about him. Remind yourself that this person is all yours, and that you chose him because no one else in the world can take their place.
Conclusion
Always make your partner feel like he is special to you. It is essential to be kind and considerate to the person you love, even when fighting. Treat your partner like you want to be treated, it’s that simple …. and at the same time, our greatest challenge.
