Yes, you heard me right a play date.
As a family therapist, I am always instilling the importance of putting your marriage first! As married couples we get it all backwards.
We are going to this practice, that rehearsal, food shopping, dog grooming, car inspections, the list goes on and on. We make sure our kids have the latest gadget, clothing etc..
We run ourselves ragged and usually take the stress out on one another which then leads to the kids feeling overwhelmed and stressed out too.
Take a moment and calculate in your mind how many minutes you spent this week actually just checking-in with your spouse to see how he or she is doing emotionally.
Was it 1 hour total, 30 minutes, or maybe 10 minutes this week? Yikes! I hope not!
By the time I start to see married couples in my office, they have lost their intimate connection to one another and usually use the phrase over and over again, “I feel like we are two ships in the night.”
If this is the case, it is time to sail out to sea, just the two of you and set down your anchors, put a plank between your ships and jump ship into each others arms! Your marriage depends on it!
Actually, your family as a whole depends upon it. When children see that Mom and Dad are happy and stress free it gives them a sense of security and nurturance that money can never buy.
Oh and a play date doesn’t cost a thing because you probably already have games in the house!
HOW I PLANNED A PLAY DATE WITH MY HUBBY!
One day my husband was feeling overwhelmed and grumpy about a bunch of different things. I noticed we were getting on each others nerves and you could feel the tension in the room.
We had the game of “Trouble” sitting around and he had mentioned that he loved playing it as a kid. So that afternoon I said we need to play a game and just be silly.
He looked at me with one eyebrow raised in the air as if I was losing my mind and then I saw his face soften. He agreed to give it a try.
Within one minute we were laughing and teasing one another, the stress that we were feeling melted away and we ended up playing three rounds….well, I am kind of competitive……….ok I’m a lot competitive when it comes to playing games.
Since then, we have played “Trouble” quite a few times. I can’t tell you the feeling of freedom we had of letting go of the stress and just being present with one another.
So, go and plan a play date with your hubby. Re-discover his smile, his laughter, his playful nature. Enjoy one another once again.
His Daughter,
Melanie
I’ve had the privilege to help many take the steps to release, renew and receive God’s design for their own lives. Together, in a safe and comfortable environment, courageous self-exploration can lead to transformation- giving your life purpose and hope for the future.
Love it! What a great idea!
I like this! I think it is important to remember that it is the best thing for our kids that we do take care of our marriage. We have so much misplaced guilt these days feeling like our kids should be the center of the universe when that actually is unhealthy! Thanks for the reminder!
Thank you for the feed-back on this subject. Stay tuned for more blogs in marriage!