Often, people feel closer to someone simply by talking to that person and being heard. And everyone feels good talking about their favorite things.
Also, if you have something difficult to talk about, wait until they are in a good mood.
Verbally acknowledging each other’s contributions to the household.
“Thanks for cleaning up after dinner, it looks great.”
“Thanks for taking the kids to soccer practice”
“Thanks for grabbing groceries, this is my favorite cheese”
So on and so forth. By acknowledging each other’s day to day (and sometimes mundane) contributions, it builds appreciation and prevents animosity. It also prevents certain tasks from being “assigned” to a person with the expectation that it’s theirs forever and that’s “just how it is.”.
If your wife asks you if you want ice cream, she wants ice cream.
Feel free to replace ice cream with anything.
1. You and your partner are a team that are working to solve your issues together. It’s you two vs the issue and never you vs your partner.
2. Hardly a cheat code, but communication is the key.
Keep a note on your phone for gift ideas. When she points out something she likes or wants to do, write it down in the note or snap a pic and insert it. See something you think she’d like? Write it down. Also, keep her clothing and shoe sizes in the note as well.
Also, google “mental load” and learn about the imbalances that tend to occur. Take more of it on.
Not me but my brother said he finds a lot of success by doing things around the house before she can even ask lol.
She’ll be like, “Can you take out the trash?” Him: Already did it.
He used to do this to my mom when we were younger too 🤣
Edit to add: I don’t care if it’s considered a hack or not 🤣 Just sharing what I’ve heard.
Pick the right person. Be super critical during the courting phase. Ask the tough questions and make sure you’re aligned. But once you decided to commit, that critical switch needs to flip and you need to be their biggest cheerleader. So many couples do it the other way, lovey dovey during the courting phase and then start getting critical after they committ. .
Just because flowers
Not because you’re sorry, or some holiday, just because. They always mean more to your SO when there isn’t a reason.
When that little voice in your head says “Don’t say it!!” when you are just about to say it, don’t say it.
Example:
Don’t ask any questions about how dinner is being prepared. Be delighted someone is making you dinner.
I discovered something dynamite that works wonders. The first month after we kissed, I bought her some small gifts and made a card – our one month anniversary. She thought it was a little cheesy but sweet. The next month – same again. The next month – and so forth. A card with some heartfelt thoughts and some small gifts. Often late but always catch up. Kept going after we got married and had children. We had our 103rd anniversary a few days ago.
I get away with absolute m*rder. She has kept all of the cards. Will do this forever.
Relationships aren’t a zero sum game, the only way to win is when you win together so approach all disagreements with that approach.
Don’t think of it as a “50/50” sort of relationship. Your half and my half. Think of it as 100% and 100%, each partner giving the other their all without expectation of equal return.
Do not take your complaints about that person outside of the marriage just to vent or gossip. I’m not talking about enabling a*****e isolation. I’m talking about the stress and annoyance that can come wjth daily living in regards to your spouse and longing to vent.
I might say that: finances, schedule, time, etc. are really stressful and complain to family or my friends about that. Complaining about circumstances, not my spouse. But I don’t talk about my husband for the sake of venting or gossip or tear him down in conversations to other people.
If I needed true assistance I’d find a therapist.
I find allowing yourself to wallow in gossip and disrespect to your spouse quickly colors your view and other people’s view of them and you can’t easily get that respect back. If my husband does something I view as foolish I address it with him.
We have been married almost 20 years and mutual respect and admiration are very important in our marriage.
I added ‘replace furnace filter ‘ to my Google Calendar as code for tracking my wife’s period.
Having her favorite snack already on hand has kept a lot of peace in our house.
Feed them or let them wake up before getting too defensive in any argument. Hangry and tired people are not themselves and it might not be a fight in a normal state of mind.
This goes both ways and across all sexual spectrums.
Be each other’s biggest fan. No s**t talking about the other to anyone, ever.
When you are always looking out for and supporting each other, that creates a strong team.
My husband and I start every day with a really long hug. It seemed like a big task at first, but honestly, we now go in for those hugs more than once a day, and it helped me through some really rough days. My son has watched it numerous times, and he tries to join.
More of an unethical cheat code, but pick battles to loose. My wife doesnt want me to ride a motorcycle, i have zero interest in ever riding one, but i bring it up every now and then just so she can shoot it down.
After 17 years, my wife called me out on it this spring saying that I didn’t want one anyways.
Your wife is still your girlfriend. Never lose that mentality.
Share in her outrage!!
When she calls and tells you something crazy happened and she annoyed at a person or situation never respond with logic!
Always respond with “Are you f**king kidding me!! That a****t did what??” “I’m gonna come down there myself and deal with this!” Or something similar that fits the situation..
They don’t want answers or solutions they just want you to share in their outrage!
15 years in – pick your battles. Don’t get into an argument about something you couldn’t care less about.
In fact, if there is a disagreement, don’t think about it like who’s right or wrong, think about it like who cares about this topic the most and if it’s them get out of their way.
Ask your wife her least favorite chore. That’s your chore now.
Buy her tacos and call her pretty. It works.
Remember, it is not you vs them. It is both of you vs the problem. You are teammates.
Also, the other advice here.
Telling her, you’ll never believe where I’m taking you to eat. Then on her first guess, just say Yup!
When my wife gets home and wants to talk about work or about a friend or w/e, I ask “support or suggestion”. Changed my life.
My wife destresses after work by talking about her day. When we were dating, my impulse would be to “solve” whatever problem she had, which she didn’t want. Years together and many fights later, we’ve both learned to just ask what the other needs and we both love each other, so we’re happy to provide it.
Dude here.
I make the bacon. Literally. I fry up enough ‘pretty bacon’ so that she can steal a couple of strips and I can yell “GET OUTTA MY KITCHEN!!” before I put everything else on the plate for breakfast. She’s hard as nails the rest of the time, but the wife giggles and runs off like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar when I’m making the sides for the pancakes and blueberry waffles (made from scratch, mind you !).
Communication. Communication. Communication.
Been married 5 years, together for 8. I stress hard on this, quality communication from BOTH sides makes such an effective team. The fights, arguments, tough spots, financial stress, intimate problems that we have completely avoided and been able to navigate together solely because we focus on communicating.
That’s it. They want to be heard and validated, and so do you. And who doesn’t love a good ol debate when you come to a crossroads with a decision. Life is so easy as a married couple when we sorted out our communication.
Here’s my personal opinion.
1) Don’t be victim
2) Be flexible in your role in your relationship
3) Take personal accountability for every task, you AND YOUR PARTNER need to accomplish (you’re a team).
I work at a place that is 95% blue collar men. The older men are getting divorced at an alarming rate. They are much more likely to have conservative opinions about relationships and unbelievably bad attitudes about their wives.
The men who can’t take responsibility for their mistakes are almost all divorced. Grow up and own your issues and mistakes.
The men who only contribute by “being a provider” have terrible relationships with their adult children. We all have roles in our relationships, but if your wife is behind or having a tough time… jump in and wash a f*****g dish. Take the kids out of the house so your wife can relax. Many men want to scream about how masculine and tough they are but refuse to do “women’s work” or contribute in any way than their own personal tasks.
My thoughts come from not only my life but observation of other men. I don’t want to make this political, but the red-pill, ultra conservative men are not doing well. I’ve been told (by an older coworker) that my wife would not respect me if she didn’t make my lunch… that guy is divorced and his kids are no contact. Even the conservative wives get tired of miserable, angry men.
This is a real one that works wonders. Join Pinterest and subscribe to your significant other’s Pinterest site. Then proceed to buy gifts for them that they’ve chosen years ago as their favorite items and you’ll have a significant other that is AMAZED by your gift giving abilities.
Any issue we have is caused by our old roommate. We rented out a room in our house to a friend before we decided to have kids. Anyway, the friend; let’s call him Henry. Cool dude. Super s****y roommate.
Henry’s long gone now but we do still blame things on him. “Henry said he was going to mow the lawn”
“Henry left crumbs all over the counter again”. And my personal favorite, “I really wish Henry would stop leaving his makeup all over the bathroom counter”
We laugh about it a little and then no one feels called out, works like a charm for us.
Race the microwave. Anytime you use it, use that time to do something quick. Load the dishwasher, flip the laundry, tidy up, get the garbage/recycling ready. You’ll be surprised at what you can do in 2min.
Tea time.
You know how smokers all stand around each other when they smoke? It’s a relaxing activity conducive to communication. Opens the lips, so to speak.
Obviously, smoking is bad for you, but you can substitute it with tea time.
Offer to make each other tea (or coffee). Make it a ritual understanding that it’s low key chat (not talk) time.
Eventually you become conditioned to comfortable communication during tea time and, as a bonus, it’s also a gift and act of service that makes one feel loved.
Always offer to do little things. Going to the store? Ask if she needs you to pick anything up. Making yourself a cup of coffee? Ask if she wants one. Running to the kitchen? Offer to bring back a snack.
Always work out your arguments before going to bed. Remember that even when you disagree you are in this together, so work on your disagreements together, trying to figure out what is causing the disconnect, without raising your voice.
Never keep score. For bills, for expenses, for income, for chores, etc. If you see a task that needs done, do it.
Kiss frequently, but also do things like kiss the back of her neck as you pass. Don’t make it sexual (like you’re not trying to pinch her butt or something every time you see her, unless she wants that). Just a quick little thing to show you love her.
(Just passed 10 years).
You’re a team of two, trying to find the best way to solve the problem in front of you.
You’re not one person in a sparing match against another person.
Nothing is “her” job. You are a team. Unload the dish washer, fold the laundry, cook dinner etc.
When your wife tells you she is exhausted and needs you to make efforts, listen to her and make those efforts. We tend to very fastly take those as nagging or annoying but most of the times its a need that comes out as a vent. Ignoring those repeatedly almost led me to divorce.
This applies if you’re texting.
If you’re arguing, or he/she has you in a bad mood…
What ever you type out, read it 3 times before sending it. 8 times out of 10 you’ll know it will cause more issues.
I’ve gotten to the point where I type something or think of something and I can play it out in my head 😂😂 I can predict her response and 9 times out of 10, I’m right about what she’s about to say or reply. It’s a gift really.
Thats kept me out of hot waters a few times and it’s also gotten me into good times/situations.😏.
Along with the obvious “make sure you’re doing your share,” of the household duties, communicating your appreciation of what your partner does. E.g.- whenever my wife returns from something like getting groceries, I go out to the car to help bring everything in, and make sure I verbally let her know that I appreciate what she just did for our family.
During pregnancy and the first few month after childbirth I always hear men say, ” There isn’t much for me to do with the kid, its all her,” my “cheat code” is that SHE is your responsibility during that time. Every time her belly itches YOU put lotion on, YOU get up and get her snacks, YOU rub her feet, YOU lift her belly up to release pressure on her back, YOU buy her comfortable clothes. When the baby is born, yea she has to wake up and breast feed, BUT YOU burp the baby, YOU change the diapers when you can. I did all of this s**t while being Active Duty military so it drives me up a wall when fathers and husbands make an excuse that they, “have to work” so they can’t help out. Be an active parent and an active partner. Suddenly, you’ll find yourself getting laid more too without begging. Its like genuinely caring is attractive or something.
Not marriage, but worked in LTR for me. I make notes in my girlfriend’s contact in my phone. What she orders at certain restaurants, things from her past that were important, stuff she’s mentioned wanting for Christmas/birthdays.
Always say thank you for meals, regardless how it turns out. You are thanking the effort not the outcome.
Rock paper scissors and veto.
DO NOT ABUSE OR WILL END BAD
If there is a favor you want done, offer rock paper scissors. Turns the act of the favor into a game. Before playing your partner can veto, the balance comes from you can also veto when they ask so you both have to pick and choose when to veto. If rock paper scissors is played IT MUST be followed. You have to do the thing. So say you want a drink from the kitchen and no one is getting up soon, you lose rock paper scissors you have to get up and get your drink as soon as the game is complete.
Small affirmations aren’t little to the person hearing it.
Being a nice respectful person. Sounds simple, because it is.
But very difficult when you have kids, stress, emotions, trauma and when the other person has the same. If you can stay nice and respectful in difficult circumstances, you’ll do better than most.
Dont keep score, and absolutely dont bring up score.
Dont empty the dishwasher because it would give you ‘brownie points’, do it because it needs to be done.
Listen. It’s hardly a cheat code, but most of the time if you pay attention, act on what you hear then you’ll make both of your lives infinitely better.
Small things that seem weirdly important to them and silly to you… just do them!
And when something that might seem small to them bothers you, communicate it to them!
If your wife is out all day and you want to be a degenerate and play video games for 10 hours, do 15 minutes of housework during the day and she will come home and be happy you were productive.
My wife is a very special woman who doesn’t fit in any mold. So I don’t know if her cheat code would work with anyone else.
She likes gentle backrubs.
An old man who was married 50 years told me to end the night with “thank you for being my wife.”
Totally works 15 years in.
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