Are You Making Your Marriage a Priority?

There are a million distractions: your children, your job, the house; the last thing we tend to prioritize is our partner. Take time each day to check in and give them your full attention. A few minutes of daily “check-ins” lets someone know that you are putting them first.

Planning the party up to the day of the wedding is exciting but once you settle into life’s routines you need to put in the work to stay committed. Your marriage benefits when you stay committed not only to the fun but through life’s good and rough times.

Schedule time together. It might not sound romantic, but it’s really the one way to ensure quality time. Time together could be as simple as eating together after the kids have gone to bed or scheduling a date night every couple of weeks without the kids.

Surprise them with a simple gift. Small tokens can be especially meaningful, like a six pack of his favorite beer or a smoothie from her favorite café. These small things not only show them that you are thinking of them but that you are someone who knows them best.

Finding humor in everyday life. Take the time to laugh with your spouse; watch a funny movie or comedy show to laugh together, playing games with the family is definitely a way to keep the entire family laughing.

Touch your spouse. Small moments of affection are crucial. Dance, hold hands, kiss when you come home. These efforts build a strong foundation of intimacy and are important as your children develop their own responses to the way they will handle their future relationships.

What was your relationship like at the beginning? It’s ok to remind each other of how you connected. Tell the appropriate stories to your children, revisit old photos, talk about favorite places. These memories will continue to reconnect you to each other.

Be kind to each other. Communication and respect about all of the daily things in life often means there will be kindness, good communication and respect for the harder things you may have to confront later.

Part of solid communication is listening. You need to confirm that you’ve heard your partner and understand their point of view before you can try to work out a problem or conflict.

Let things go. Say you’re sorry and move on and if you are accepting the apology, accept it and mean it, don’t look back.

Work as a team. This can mean as a family but take the time to also work together as a couple. Working together as a team will help you connect to each other as you work to accomplish a joint goal. Cook a new recipe together for dinner, build a piece of furniture, paint a room or improve something around the house.

Getting out of your comfort zone will also help reignite the spark! Get out on your bikes, take a hike, sign up for a 5k. Don’t be afraid to try something challenging, encourage your partner that you will be there for them to count on.

Don’t compare. No one knows another’s intimacy unless you are living it. Don’t compare your marriage or relationship to your friend’s, your neighbor’s or co-worker’s. Be grateful that you’ve found a person to share your life with and make them your priority. Make your relationship the best it can be instead of looking for something you think someone else may have.

There is no pill for a long lasting, love filled marriage but hard work and dedication will help to strengthen your marriage and hopefully allow you to stand the test of time. Keep communicating, respect each other and treat with kindness!