In long-term relationships, losing track of your better half is almost too easy. To prevent that, you’ll need to make a point of spending quality time with your partner. If you’re not sure how to make your wife feel loved and appreciated, you’ll find some helpful tips below!
15 Ways to Make Your Wife Feel Loved and Appreciated
If you want to make your wife feel appreciated, you need to start with the basics. With that in mind, the most important thing you can do is acknowledge all the little things she does for you!
1. Thank Her
Once you put a ring on a woman’s finger, simple phrases like “please” and “thank you” have a way of getting lost in the noise. But those words are often the most meaningful gifts you can give your partner. They mean that you can see and respect the effort they’re putting into the relationship.
2. Hear Her Out
Women often find themselves pulling the emotional weight of their relationships with men. Some men think of their wives and girlfriends as their mothers or even therapists — which is obviously pretty disturbing. Of course, that’s not to say you shouldn’t rely on your wife emotionally. Rather, you should make an effort to keep your relationship a two-way street.
One way to do that would be to ask your wife about her day and let her talk about it. And when she has nothing new to say on that front — or requires a different kind of distraction — let her talk about her hobbies.
Listening to your partner talk about her favorite shows or activities is always a nice gesture. Better yet, you can enjoy them together, whether that means settling in to listen to a new podcast she found or accompanying her on a Saturday morning hike.
3. Do Little Things for Her Throughout the Day
Your wife wants to know that you’re thinking of her — is that too much to ask for? If you’re not the type to leave random post-its around the house for her to read, you can always text her. A silly joke is sure to put a smile on her face and let her know she’s on your mind.
Alternatively, when you’re both home, you can cut some fruits for her or make her a cup of coffee. Similarly, when you’re out and about, you can carry her bags or open doors for her. Building these little habits is a great way to show your affection.
4. Be There for Her
As we have established, many women feel like they’re the supportive pillar in their relationships. If you want to make it clear to your wife that you’re in this together, you should make yourself available when she needs you. Respond to her messages promptly and put your phone down when she’s speaking to you.
On top of that, you should also try to be especially attentive when she’s sick or in pain. Bring her tea, make her some soup — you know the drill. If you’re not sure what she needs, just ask.
5. Compliment Her
For many people, teasing their partner is one of the most natural things they could do. However, those kinds of comments can often sound disparaging or belittling — the last thing you want to do to your wife. On top of affecting her self-esteem, such comments can also set a bad example for your kids and others. So if you want your relationship to succeed, you ought to do the opposite of that.
Don’t be stingy when it comes to praise! If you want to show others what a great partner you have (and your wife doesn’t mind the attention), you could also compliment her publicly. Nowadays, you could probably do that in the comments of her Instagram posts or your captions.
6. Give Her a Present
If you want to make your wife feel loved and appreciated, showy gifts won’t do the trick. When you’re married, spending a lot of money on a present can affect your joint budget. So smaller, even handmade gifts have a greater effect than any jewelry. When in doubt, you can always fall back on the classic gifts — flowers and chocolates — but only if your wife likes those kinds of things.
7. Be Physically Affectionate — If She’s Into It
This tip is another one that depends on your wife’s love language. If she likes openly expressing her feelings through physical touch, she’ll probably appreciate your efforts to do the same:
• Hold her hand when you’re walking somewhere together
• Kiss her cheek or forehead
• Scratch her back or arm
• Offer her a massage at the end of a long day
Just, whatever you do, try not to have any expectations attached to those actions. Women know when their partners are only doing something nice in order to score later on.
8. Encourage Her to Spend Time on Herself
If you notice that your wife is feeling down, don’t just point it out and leave it at that. No one likes being told that they don’t look well. Instead, make space for her to pursue her dreams. Alternatively, offer her the stability and security she needs to take time off and relax.
9. Plan a Vacation
So often, women are the ones who have to plan everything out from start to finish. If you want to let your wife know you care about her, take on the task of planning your next vacation. Just make sure to ask when she’ll be free and figure the rest out yourself.
10. Do Your Share of the Household Chores
As a man, the worst thing you could do is pat yourself on the back for “helping” with household chores or childcare tasks. These are things you should be doing anyway. Instead of waiting for your wife to make the bed, you do it — even if the sight of tousled sheets doesn’t annoy you much. You should also:
• Take out the trash
• Prepare meals
• Do the dishes
• Vacuum and clean
• Go grocery shopping
• Help the kids get in and out of bed
• Do the laundry
Remember, the faster these tasks are done, the more time you’ll have to spend with your partner at the end of the day.
11. Cook for Her
If you don’t have a talent for cooking, you shouldn’t force yourself to do it. But if you’d like to do something nice for your wife, you could make a point of learning how to cook her favorite foods. Eventually, you’ll be able to split the kitchen tasks evenly between you two.
12. Take Her on Dates
If you’re not a particularly skilled chef, you could always take your wife out for a meal. Better yet, you could establish a regular date night. Of course, it doesn’t need to be a basic dinner date. If you want to experiment with different activities, you could sign up for interesting couple’s classes.
13. Keep Track of Important Dates
Some people place more importance on anniversaries and birthdays than others. Even if you don’t care about such things, marking those dates in your calendar would take no time at all — but it may mean a lot to your wife.
14. Treat Her Friends and Family Well
Seeing your partner get along with your family and friends is pretty heartwarming. With that in mind, you should also make an effort to build a good relationship with your wife’s loved ones.
15. Ask Her for Advice
As we have established, being overly reliant on your wife for emotional support can be pretty damaging for your relationship. However, you don’t want to go too far in the other direction either. Ultimately, open communication is the key to having a good marriage, so you shouldn’t hesitate to share your worries.
More importantly, you should ask for your wife’s opinions before making big decisions. That’s the only way to let her know that you value her input and consider her your equal in this partnership.
