So why do we need to date our mates? Dating our husbands is essential for fostering healthy marriages filled with passion, romance, and meaningful conversations.
Why Date Our Mates?
Regular dates help keep the adventure and spark of excitement for married couples. They provide opportunities to introduce new experiences, learn together, and meet new people, all of which enrich our relationships. Additionally, dates allow us to shower our husbands with plenty of love and affection.
Research from the Marriage Foundation found that married couples who go on dates have a “14% lower odds of their relationship breaking down.”
5 Reasons to Date Your Mate
1. Creates Opportunities to Communicate – Going on dates deepens our understanding of each other as we continue to grow and change. Our relationships improve when we share new experiences and face challenges together
2. Provides the Novelty of Something New – Enjoyable dates include fun, engaging activities such as hiking, dancing, visiting new places, or playing card games. These increase a couple’s satisfaction with their relationship as they explore shared or new interests.
3. Rekindles the Romantic Spark – Date nights help keep the fires of love and intimacy alive. An article in the New York Times called Reinventing Date Nights for Long Married Couples mentioned that “simply doing new things together as a couple — may help bring the butterflies back, recreating the chemical surges of early courtship.”
4. Strengthens Commitment – When we prioritize dating our spouses, we foster a sense of we-ness and togetherness, which leads to greater happiness in the relationship.
5. Relieves Stress – Dates provide an opportunity to step away from the pressing concerns of everyday life. They allow us to enjoy each other’s company and offer emotional support during challenging times.
What Makes a Great Date for Married Couples?
I’ve had some women ask me, “What makes it a date night for married couples?” and “Do we have to leave the house?”
A successful date for husbands and wives involves three key components. First, it’s crucial to have time alone with our partners without the children. While some of the evening or afternoon might be spent with friends or in a crowd, we want to ensure we later have private time with our loved ones.
The second essential element of a great date typically includes a fun activity that allows us to chat and reconnect with each other.
Finally, dates for married couples should create opportunities for intimacy. We can share the pleasure of making love with our mates before, during, or after our fun activity, or whenever our hearts desire.
5 Lousy Excuses to Not Date Your Mate
Over the years, I’ve led numerous Bible studies for women on marriage and heard more excuses to avoid dating our mates than I ever thought possible. Let’s stop the excuses and make the necessary changes in our busy lives to reconnect with our husbands. It’s worth it!
1. No Time, No Money, or I’m Too Tired – If we don’t schedule regular dates, we’ll run out of time. Set a date night on the calendar. Enjoy free activities in your local area and set aside some money for special outings.
2. He Won’t Plan a Date – Don’t wait for your husband to take the initiative, take charge, and make plans yourself. Include a romantic interlude in the bedroom, and your husband will “love” dates.
3. Something Comes Up to Disturb Your Plans – If plans are interrupted, reschedule. Make minor adjustments to your itinerary as needed. Adjust the timetable or activity until it works for you.
4. We Don’t Like the Same Restaurants, Movies, or Sports – If you have different preferences, take turns. On one date, eat at your favorite restaurant, and on the next, enjoy an activity he likes. One week, watch him excel at a sport, and the next, go to a movie of your choice.
5. He Doesn’t Want to Go on a Date – Most men are open to dating if it includes a chance for intimacy. Regular dates keep marriages vibrant and relationships strong. They help maintain the fun and excitement in our relationships.
Time to Brainstorm Date Ideas
Brainstorm as many romantic ideas as you can in fifteen minutes. Generate ideas that are serious and silly, practical and ridiculous, expensive and cheap, meaningful and sexy. Generate ideas for gifts, gestures, places to go, and things to do. “
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Joyce Zook
Featured Image by Nos Nguyen from Pixabay
