Hello friends,
Summer is officially here. While this is a great time to spend with your family, it can also be a time of stress in your marriage. With the kids out of school and fun for everyone, it’s easy to fill your calendar to the absolute max. If you’re not careful, your marriage can feel the effects of this. It can get to the point where you and your husband are like two ships passing in the night. This weakens the connection.
Here at A Beautiful Adventure Marriage, we’re all about adventure and fun, but not at the expense of your relationship. In this blog, let’s look at 5 ways to have fun this summer, enjoy your kids, but maintain your relationship as a husband and wife.
5 ways to make your marriage thrive this summer
Yes, there are lots of fun things that are exclusive to summer. There are also many good things to do during the summer as a family. This does not mean? However, that your family should do it all. We definitely encourage you to plan some activities for your family this summer. Just be sure to leave some time to rest and recharge between activities. You can do this in a few different ways.
Sit down and talk as a husband and wife to figure out what your ability is this summer.
Chances are, you both still have to work in the summer. So consider the non-negotiables that need to happen and then choose the activities you can manage. If you and your spouse spend the entire summer running in different directions, it will be very difficult to stay connected and enjoy intimacy with them.
After you and your spouse have a chance to sit down together, include the kids.
Explain to them that you can’t do everything, but work together as a family to decide what you want to do. Ask them what their top choices would be and allow them to have some input into the discussion. If something can’t happen, explain to them why it can’t. They may not understand, or even get irritated. However, you want to have a connection with them, just like you do with your spouse. If they’re going in a million directions, you might as well be wasting quality time with them.
Another way you can keep your calendar free is to limit the number of activities per week.
Once you decide what you can handle, stick to it. If you can handle two things before the week, put it on your limit. You really have to be intentional because I know I’ve been guilty of uploading my diary and regretting it later.
This might be a little difficult for some of you, but you don’t have to do everything you want the kids to do. You can say no and be a good parent. Remember if you and your spouse are running around all the time, your marriage will not be as strong as it could be. It’s easy to become roommates instead of lovers when your schedule is full.
Honestly, kids need to see what a good marriage is more than they need to do every activity that comes up.
Your children will know what to expect at the wedding just by watching you model it. It is good for your children to see you choose your spouse from time to time. He will show them how to treat their husband someday. So if your kids ask you to do something you can’t do and still have a relationship with your spouse, it’s okay to say no. They may complain, cry or get upset, but as my mom says… they will live.
It’s important not only to have family time, but also for you and your spouse to have someone to spend the summer with. So be sure to schedule a regular date night in the coming months.
Dating is one of the best ways to keep the connection and intimacy alive in your marriage.
Marriage can be so much fun and dating is one of the vehicles you can use to have fun, so make sure you plan that date night and have fun with your spouse.
Now that you’ve picked out the activities for the kids and planned some date nights for you and your husband, now let’s find some things to do together as a family. Once a week you could choose a family member and do something together that they enjoy. This is a great way to enjoy your time as a family, but not only do you spend time together, but you also learn what everyone likes to do. This also gives everyone a day or night where they can choose what the family does.
I think everyone has more fun when they know they get to choose what happens.
You can also have game nights, movie nights, do outside activities, the list goes on, but find some time to just enjoy your wife and kids. Laughter and fun really is the best medicine!
I know all the tips we mentioned may seem like a lot. Is! When you have a spouse, kids, and things to do, it can be overwhelming. That’s why we added this last tip.
Throughout the summer, it’s important that you and your spouse check in. It will take a lot of trial and error to spend your summer in a way that will make your marriage thrive and your family grow closer.
You and your spouse will need to work together as a team for it to be successful.
I would suggest checking in weekly. Wake up before the kids once a week and read your journal together. Make sure the two of you are on the same page, because you and your husband will be the ones who set the tone for your summer.
Have fun this summer
By the time fall gets here, you don’t want to be exhausted with little to show for it. Doing everything we mentioned above may take a little work on the front end, but this work will help you and your family have an amazing summer.
Our prayer is that you and your family end the summer closer than when you entered it.
You can do this!
We are praying for you!
Before you go!
If you’re looking for a marriage resource to do with your spouse this summer, check out one of the Youversion Readers. These plans can be made in just a few days and are full of biblical wisdom and practical steps that can strengthen your marriage.
