Families For Life | Little Romantic Things That Lead To Better Emotional Intimacy

Showing affection and gratitude through little “acts of love” regularly helps to keep the spark alive in relationships. Love gestures are not just meant for special occasions – these are ways where you can make your partner feel loved and a reminder not to take one another for granted.

Forget the over-the-top extravagant gestures that you see in rom-coms. Couples in long marriages tell us it is those small and subtle acts shown regularly that keep the emotional connection and bond strong.

To make your relationship more fun, exciting and leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy, we pulled a list of little romantic things you can do for each other!

A trail of post-it notes

Surprise your partner with cute little notes of encouragement and compliments around the house. Small notes like these could show how you notice their little quirks and habits and that they remain in your daily thoughts.

Receiving kind words when they least expect it would also make them feel good about themselves. For example, for the weekend, how about sending a note with an outfit, “you look amazing during our last date in this dress/shirt.”

Do the chores they less prefer

If your partner is one of those who does not like cleaning out the sink after doing the dishes, you can do it for them. Maybe they are afraid of cockroaches, lizards or any other house pests. Earn yourself some hero points by taking charge of taking out the trash. This is recommended on the assumption that both of you aren’t afraid of the same thing!

Brekkie in bed or lunch boxes made with love

Start the weekends by having breakfast in bed – bonus points if breakfast includes fluffy pancakes and freshly brewed coffee! Pancakes are easy to make - get pancake mix at your nearest grocery store, whip them up in less than an hour and top them off with berries and golden maple syrup. Serve them warm on a nice tray and enjoy this cosy meal together!

On work days, perhaps pack a scrumptious lunch for them to bring to work too. When work gets busy, the lovingly prepared lunch box would be much appreciated by your partner.

Show your affection

Do you know that simple acts like kisses on the cheeks, hugs and cuddles can alleviate stress and unhappiness? After a long day at work, express your love for one another with kisses and hugs. Or offer to give him or her a nice massage after an intense day of work.

Mood-lifting texts

Send your spouse short texts when they are at work to let them know you are thinking of them. It could be a quick “hope your day is going well” or “I can’t wait to be home with you again”. These quick texts could bring a smile to their faces and get them going at work.

Bring home a gift

It does not have to be expensive. And it does not need to have a reason or an occasion. Bring home a stalk of flower, or perhaps packed char kway teow from her favourite hawker-stall, just because you know that your partner deserves a little more love everyday.