Is your wife in a bad mood? Or is she just tired? Here are 9 great ideas for cheering up your wife.
1) Give a Small Gift
My wife loves flowers. Buying her flowers (as long as they are not fake) is a foolproof way of cheering her up. Other gifts like her favorite chocolate or a dessert also work.
2) Give a Massage
My wife enjoys foot massages, especially after a day when she’s been on her feet for a long time. She’s very happy whenever I give her a foot (or back) massage. (PS – If you live in Greater Vancouver, try our friends at this Burnaby RMT clinic and this New West RMT clinic.)
3) Plan a Special Date Night
If I really want to cheer up my wife, I’ll plan a special date for her and I. It could be taking her to a new restaurant, or buying tickets to watch some local theatre, or going to visit someplace she’s never been. Sometimes I tell her to block off some time in the week without telling her why – this gives her a surprise to look forward to later in the week (also read: 10 Fun Date Night Ideas).
4) Cook Dinner
My wife usually does the cooking (also read: 5 Practical Tips on Learning to Cook), so sometimes I’ll give her a break and cook. Or when I’m not confident I can cook something decent (cooking a crappy dinner usually makes things worse), I’ll order take-out. Giving her a rest from cooking always cheers her up.
5) Do House Chores
Take the initiative to do the dishes, the laundry, take out the garbage, or clean the bathroom. Give her a break. It’s even better if you do the chores that your wife usually does (and not just the ones you’re supposed to do).
6) Go on a Shopping Trip
Whenever I suggest taking my wife to go shopping, she perks up. It could be a short trip to the mall to buy some new clothes, or it could be a mini road trip to the nearest outlet mall.
7) Tell a Funny Story
My wife appreciates a good laugh. I like telling her something funny that happened during my day, or sometimes, I’ll just retell a funny story from our past.
8) Sing and Dance
I’m a decent singer but not a very good dancer. Whenever I attempt to dance for my wife she finds it amusing. It’s not my skills that cheer her up, but my effort (and lack of skill).
9) Don’t Cheer Up Your Wife
Sometimes the best way to cheer up your wife is not to cheer up your wife. This seems counter-intuitive, but women are sometimes counter-intuitive. I’ve found that when my wife is upset or in a bad mood, the best thing I can do is not try to fix her problem (i.e. by trying to cheer her up). The best thing I can do is to listen and understand her. Inevitably, after she feels like I understand her, she cheers up (and I didn’t really do anything). This is one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to cheer up your wife.
As a husband, I see it as my job description to cheer up my wife. But it’s more than a job to me, it’s something I love doing.
What are some ways you cheer up your spouse?
photo credit: p-duke