“He wakes up in the morning
Does his teeth, bite to eat, and he’s rolling
Never changes a thing
The week ends, the week begins
She thinks, we look at each other
Wondering what the other is thinking
But we never say a thing
These crimes between us grow deeper “
Ants Marching – Dave Matthews Band
**
In everyday life, it’s easy to settle into routine. We have our responsibilities. Kids, school, work, groceries, bills, etc.
But how does routine affect marriage? How does it affect our romance? How does it affect our love for each other?
Some routine is necessary. There are things we obviously have to do like work and take care of the kids.
But it’s how we do these things day in and day out that can make all of the difference. With just a little change up, we can increase the love we have for our spouse.
With that said, here are some ways to change up the 4 most common routines we all have.
Keep in mind, almost all of these tips require some adjustment to make them work.
And that’s really the point. Your routine doesn’t come first – your spouse does.
#1 – Mornings
Get up at the same time and have breakfast together. If you’re not the one who normally prepares breakfast, do it! Heart shaped pancakes are always welcome!
If you’re religious, add some time for prayer and scripture study together.
Bonus – get up an hour earlier and work out together. Or dare I say, have morning sex.
#2 – Food
It’s easy to get caught up eating the same food every week. It’s easy to follow the same recipes that you know everyone likes.
To change it up a bit, try walking down an aisle of the grocery store you normally don’t. Pick up something new and make a new meal out of it. Treat it like an adventure. If it’s bad, you can always go out to eat!
When going out, try a new restaurant. Look online for places to eat or just go to the place you always drive past but never stop at.
Bonus points – randomly surprise your spouse with his or her favorite dinner. Even better, show up to his or her work for a surprise lunch.
#3 – Evenings
At the end of a long day, you’re probably tired. Maybe you had a long day at work. Maybe you spent the afternoon in the principal’s office of your kid’s school.
This is the perfect time to go the extra mile for your spouse. Take what he or she normally does and do it yourself. Maybe that’s preparing dinner. Maybe that’s helping with homework. Whatever it is, do it.
This might be a good time to get out of the house. Visit a park. Go to the mall. Change up the routine to something interactive.
Take the time to really listen to how your spouse’s day was.
Bonus points – sit your spouse down and give him or her a massage. Even just a head or foot massage can work wonders.
#4 – Weekends
What happens in your typical weekend?
Are you making trips to your local hardware store and mowing the lawn? Are you cleaning out the garage?
If you’re doing this together, it might be a great activity. If not, find something you can do together. It can include household chores if you like.
Or maybe you need to get away from the house. This could mean taking a mini road trip somewhere. Go to another town close by and eat at a local diner.
Get on the freeway and take an exit you’ve never gone on before. See where it leads.
Bonus points – do something that you know your spouse has wanted to do for a long time. Even better is to surprise him or her with it!
Your Spouse Comes First
We need routines. We need to get stuff done. But there’s always a way to get everything done while letting our partner know we love them.
Make your spouse a priority. Everything else in life is secondary.
