Marriage takes work, but its the real thing.
This is the fifth instalment in our series of posts focused on marriage. We started with a look at six benefits of marriage, followed by an analysis of the Honeymoon period and beyond, the art of compromise and last week was the two traits that are scientifically proven to ensure a long, happy marriage. How to not only stay together, but to make sure that ‘happily ever after’ is actually how the story goes? This week we have 50 specific tips on areas to work on, from successfully married people.
1. Trusting each other
2. Same sense of humour
3. Always being honest with each other
4. Remember birthdays and anniversaries
5. Accepting each other’s faults
6. Compromising
7. Saying ‘I love you’ regularly
8. Knowing when to say sorry
9. Being able to laugh at each other
10. Having a similar outlook on life
11. Regular hugs/cuddles
12. Always kiss each other goodnight
13. The occasional romantic gesture
14. Considering your partner to be your best friend
15. Sharing the parenting duties and chores
16. Always kiss each other goodbye in the mornings
17. Having some shared hobbies and interests
18. Always talk about a problem rather than bottling it up
19. Ask each other about their day, then really listen
20. Regular sex
21. Having some different hobbies and interests
22. Knowing when to give each other some space
23. Never going to sleep on an argument
24. Regular holidays/mini breaks
25. Having similar aims and ambitions
26. Having the odd argument or disagreement
27. Continuing to make an effort to look nice for your partner
28. Getting on with each other’s family
29. Setting aside quality time for each other
30. Holding hands when you are out and about
31. Regularly complimenting each other
32. Having your own friends as well as mutual friends
33. Two TVs in the house
34. Getting on with each other’s friends
35. Each having a car
36. Still shaving/grooming
37. Each having equal share of the lie-ins when you have children
38. Separate bank accounts
39. Having regular nights out with friends, without your partner
40. Surprise gifts/presents such as flowers
41. Not being friends with ANY ex-partners on Facebook
42. A rota to divide up the household chores
43. Regular date nights
44. Two bathrooms/toilets
45. Not having one person hogging the remote control
46. Similar working hours
47. Knowing each other’s passcode for their phone
48. A secret stash of cash they know nothing about
49. Keeping some things private (not going to the toilet in front of each other etc)
50. A night or two a week where neither of you use computers/laptops/phones etc
…via Secrets to a happy marriage are honesty, compromise and having TWO of everything | Daily Mail
Hopefully by trying to keep these suggestions in mind, and in a perfect world, you will avoid arguments. However, the truth is that there are always going to be issues, both large and small, about which couples disagree. To address this our next post in this series will be on conflict resolution in a marriage, looking at how most couples make decisions and how they actually should be making them.
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