It’s National Spouse’s Day and it’s the perfect opportunity to learn about 7 practical tips to help put your spouse first. I have to admit that once we had children, my focus switched from Hubby to my girls and he had to remind me gently that I am his wife first then their mom. I did not get it at first and justified why my priority switched. As my girls are growing and becoming more independent, I am realizing the importance of putting my spouse first.
If we want a lasting marriage then we have to invest the time to appreciate and love the person who will be with us the longest by putting our spouse first. Why should you put your spouse first? Here are 7 practical tips to help put your spouse first on National Spouse’s Day:
Make Date Night A Must
A baby changes everything, they say and Hubby and I are proof that it’s true. I went from wife to mommy mode in full force like I was running a sprint. Hubby did his best in the beginning to encourage us to go out but I did not have the energy so he will help me put the girls to bed early enough so that we can have some alone time. Now that they are older, I am learning to make date night a must, whether at home or outside the home.
Love On Each Other
I remember early on in our marriage, I will race our girls to the door when Hubby got home and we will have a fun time competing to see who gets to him first. Over the years, Hubby will call when he leaves work to check the temperature at home and when I don’t rush to the door, he excuses himself and looks for me to show me some love because he understands that momming ain’t easy.
Compliment Your Spouse Every Day
The beautiful part about marriage is the gift of two in the journey of becoming one. It takes more than being in love to keep the marriage strong. I have learned to celebrate Hubby’s strengths and praise him on a regular basis. He has done the same for me and it feels good to feel appreciated, especially in front of our children.
Enjoy A Couple’s Getaway Often
I look at this as an extended date night for you and your spouse. I have always been very particular about the people who watch after our girls and now that Babygirl is turning five, we are definitely considering an overnight or weekend getaway when one of our moms visits the States. I can definitely see how that will add some fuel and fire to our marriage.
Teach Your Children To Honor Their Dad/Mom
Hubby and I agree wholeheartedly that we have to become who we want our children to be and that involves training them by setting the example. Honoring your spouse is not supposed to happen just on National Spouse’s Day or Valentine’s Day or your anniversary but every day. It takes being intentional to honor our spouse, especially in front of our children, to train them in the way they should go and do!
Speak Your Spouse’s Love Language Every day
Love is more than a noun, it’s a verb that calls action. Putting your spouse first is finding small ways that speak his/her love language in a meaningful way. Hubby’s love language is quality time so you will find us talking, going for a walk, watching a movie or playing a board game together after the girls go to bed or on the weekends because I love him and want him to feel loved. My love language is act of service so you’ll find us tag teaming in the kitchen cooking, Hubby driving the girls to dance so that I can get some alone time because he loves me and wants me to feel loved. Those small love actions speak so much volume that we should be intentional in speaking our spouse’s love language every day.
Let your spouse know that you think about him/her.
I love writing lunch notes for my girls to take to school as a way to show them that I love them. It dawned on me this year that I should start leaving notes for Hubby to let him know that I think of him and how much I love him. We used to leave each other notes before we had children and I think it’s about time to get back to it again.
Marriage is hard work and I would like to model to our girls what a WELLthy marriage looks like because my prayer is that Hubby and I leave them a legacy that speaks a faith and love in action starting with Hubby and I. I have no doubt that Hubby knows how much I love him and I know that Hubby loves me but it’s even more important now that we are parents to put each other first because our children are watching and I want them to know that a successful marriage begins with putting your spouse first!
WELLthy Life NODte:”Putting your marriage on cruise control for 20 years while you focus on your kids is like falling asleep at the wheel – deadly.” -Success Magazine
