Marriage Tips --5 Happily Ever Afters

Ever after is a long time….and I am so glad to know that! Here are five tips to help the “Prince” you married become the “King” he can be.

Anticipate his homecoming. Remember when you were dating and you would excitedly await the next chance you had to be together? Keep that fun spark alive. When he enters, flash him a smile and catch his eye. Please don’t assume that just because he is home you can now dump all your responsibilities onto him. Let him regroup. Love and adore him. Then ask him kindly to help you with specific tasks. I noticed early on that husbands don’t read minds…he may not realize right off what needs to be done. 🙂 I honestly miss my husband when he is gone.
Never speak ill of your husband. Don’t tell your friends or extended family his downfalls, and especially don’t point them out to your children. Husbands/Dads need to be respected and loved. You undermine your husband’s credibility with kids, if you constantly point out his flaws. It is OK to keep some observations to yourself. Set him up high in your life. Never let kids or other things displace him.
Be happy. Life is not a constant fairytale of fancy dresses and balls. Thank goodness it isn’t! Twenty years into marriage, I can see that hard times helped us rise up together and become more than we would have been alone. You get closer under those circumstances. Trials help you dig deep for the strength of heroes. If you never know struggles..then the joy of good times will never be as great. See the greater purpose and smile.
Counsel with your husband. Set goals together. A lot of our visits are during our “Oreos and Milk” time each night (see our post “Date Night”). It has greatly blessed us to write down what projects we want to happen around the house, to talk about our budget (and to figure out how to spend less money than we make), to visit about concerns with kids (and to talk about achievements that should be praised) and to just get a feel of how we are both doing. Never make a big or significant purchase or change without both of you being okay with it.
And last, but absolutely not least: Go to bed at the same time as your husband and pray together.