The world moves at a tremendously fast pace. It’s virtually impossible to disconnect from work, social networks, media, news, even friends and family. Life is often an overload of emails, voice mails, instant messages, profiles, shows, kids activities, schedules, and the endless desire to know about what’s going on around you.
It’s far too easy to let the important things in your life slip through the cracks and get lost in the chaos. Days could go by without speaking to family members, or sharing deeper moments with your spouse.
Finding moments for quality connections in marriage takes planning. It requires intentionality. Quality time rarely happens by chance.
There are many things that can get in the way of finding moments together. It’s also possible that the time you spend together has become stale. Yes, even quality time can become routine. Perhaps some spice needs to be added.
The importance of quality time in marriage.
Spending time with the one you love is important in every relationship. While this may seem obvious, it’s these times of deeper connection that will sustain you during the lean times.
Quality time also presents the best opportunities for growth. Growth together and individually.
I believe we are designed for relationships, and relationships are the best place to grow up.
I’ve written this many times before… marriage is not about happiness, it’s about growing and developing into a better human. Happiness may come along at times and it’s most often found in quality time with your partner, but it’s your growth that enhances and sparks the relationship for the long haul.
Whether the quality time you create with the one you love is a few minutes each day, an evening a week, or a weekend away, all it takes to make this happen is commitment and choice.
Here are some ways to find more quality time and even a few things to do during the time.
- Schedule the time each week
- Give up your TV
- Disconnect the Internet
- Walk together in the evening, you can even take the kids
- Send emails or quick messages to each other during the day
- Listen to music (my wife and kids love this one each evening)
- Cook dinner together
- Stick to a bedtime routine with your kids (even have them go to bed early some nights)
- Trade evenings with another family – watch their kids so they can be together and vice versa
- Find a regular babysitter
- Use your vacation time, even half days in order to be together in the afternoon
- Play board games as a family, or with your spouse
- Enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine together on the couch
- Sit together outside and look at the stars
- Read together
- Play card games
- Sneak away from a party or gathering and go make out
- Dance
- Snuggle together and watch a movie
- Go to a movie and make out like teenagers
- Reminisce about favorite memories together
- Have dinner by candlelight, even with the kids
- Hold hands often
- Hug
- Have lunch together during the week
- Turn off the radio riding together in the car
- Take a shower or bath together
- Bike ride together, you can each have a headset for your phone and talk to each other the entire time
- Have an affair with your spouse
- Play poker, be creative with your betting
- Leave little notes for each other around the house
- Say “I love you”
- Have a picnic, you can even do this in the living room
- Go to bed early
- Have sex
Add your ideas in the comments.
Recently I did have this idea 22 – Candle light dinner with the kids. Child no.2 was so excited about it that she insisted the next day on having candlelight breakfast
These are such great tips and so important too!
We also have a time called ‘family hug’ after our family prayer in the evening. Its grown into such a wonderful and playful routine with the kids that we all look forward to.
Thanks!
Great suggestions, and great site (this is my first time visiting). I’m adding you to blog roll!
Great ideas!! We love to watch football together and we always wager a 10 minute massage. For the Superbowl we stayed home and watched together and devised a whole series of wagers; team with the most interceptions, most fumbles, most penalties, etc. We had fun during AND after the game!!
I think “have sex” should have been at least in the top 5. The hub and I play racquetball together and really enjoy that. We are going camping this coming weekend to celebrate our 25th anniversary. I have a special surprise for Sat night that he doesn’t know about. I have arranged to renew our vows!