The divorce rate is up.
You probably hear this little statistic year after year. Regardless of whether it holds sway or not, the truth is that too many marriages break up for reasons that could have been fixed, amended or addressed as a team.
This is not to say that people should stay in a relationship that’s going nowhere, just for the sake of it. But it also doesn’t mean that one should cut their losses and run. Marriage is about maintaining a fine line, a balance between autonomy and togetherness.
There are ways to keep the spark alive, 5, 10 and even 25 years into being a couple. While marriage itself may be no guarantee of happiness, we have 6 guaranteed ways to make your husband happy
1. The Little Things Matter
When you’ve been married for a while, it’s important to keep the magic alive. This does not mean buying anniversary gifts for your husband, but paying attention to the “little” things — because, eventually, these small things add up to a feeling.
And the only thing anyone remembers is how you made them feel.
So make your husband feel special by leaving small little post-it notes with sentiments of love, doing something special for him like cooking his favourite meal or buying him a small token of appreciation or a gift when it’s not a special occasion.
2. Maintain Pride In Your Appearance
You may be a wifey, but there’s no need to play the wifey. Women who pay attention to the way they look, especially when they’re married are not, contrary to popular belief, self-centred or shallow.
In fact, these women experience longer, more fulfilling marriages because they take pride in their appearance. They are communicating self-care and self-worth to themselves as well as their partners.
And that’s sexy in itself.
3. Open Encouragement
If you’re open and up-front about critiquing him, be equally as open about encouraging him. Making your spouse happy is not about giving him a free pass when he does something that drives you nuts or looking the other way.
It’s about knowing how to encourage his strengths and focus on these instead, in any given situation.
4. Be Playful with Him
Let your inner child flow and don’t be afraid to be silly and laugh together. Wash the dishes together and get suds all over the place or head out for a night of beer tasting.
Novelty is something that keeps the relationship fresh and exciting but being able to reveal your inner self is far more scintillating to him than you realize. All men take pleasure in seeing the woman that they love as a complex creature who is as capable of being strong, as she is soft and playful.
5. Motivate Him
Whether your husband is the most ambitious man in the country or he is simply in love with his hobbies and wants to spend (most) spare seconds outside tinkering, motivate him to keep up with what he loves.
Women can be the light and the strength in a man’s life by simply motivating him in dark moments, encouraging him to show up and do his best. If he has a dream he’s working on, the best way for a woman to keep her husband going is to motivate him.
6. Take the Lead
Yes, men are physical and visual creatures — but that doesn’t mean they want to play one role, all the time. Variety is not just the spice of life, it’s the saviour of the bedroom.
So the next time you’re settling into your intimate song-and-dance, flip the routine and take the lead. He’ll love where you’re going with it — and he’ll definitely come around for an encore.
