How do we show gratitude of your husband. April 16th is Husband Appreciation Day. While you may be tired of all of these “made up” holidays, as a relationship counselor, I’m all in favor of them. I support any occasion to show love and devotion between partners. You might be part of a couple that is always appreciative, never takes your partner for granted, and always tells them how grateful you are that they are in your life. If you are, good for you! However, if you’re not in that mode, a special day set aside to show your husband how appreciated he is, can be a wonderful boost to your relationship.
So many couples, especially long-term couples, can get into a rut of sameness. They have their routines, their communication becomes limited within the constraints of those routines, and they can fall into a sort of shorthand where they only speak about the home, work, the kids. Their habits are set and they operate in a kind of sleepwalk of sameness. Does this describe you? You’re kind and loving to one another, even happy together, at least on the surface. It’s not a bad way to live until it is. What eventually happens is that you can start to take one another for granted. Then what? You need to change some things up. How should we show gratitude of your husband celebrate Husband Appreciation Day.
People who don’t feel appreciated stop trying. Why should he bother, when his hard work and achievements are not recognized? If you take the time to think about it, you’ll realize that there are a great many things that your husband does for you and your family that never get recognized. That’s why a holiday such as Husband Appreciation Day is so important to observe.
You may not think that your husband is going to like being singled out to be heaped with praise and gratitude, but I’ll wager you’d be wrong. Historically, society has put a lot of expectations on the husband. He’s expected to work hard, always be strong, be a good provider, and the spiritual head of the household. In addition, he’s expected to be a good lover, a patient father, a handyman, mechanic and be the emotional support for his entire family. That’s a lot. How to show gratitude to your husband typically would be followed by his showing gratitude for you. If your husband is any or all of these things, he deserves a day! Here are some ways to show gratitude and give your husband a great Husband Appreciation Day.
- Take a personal day off. If he can, urge your man to take a day off from work. Encourage him to engage in his favorite activity. For example, If he golfs, book him a tee time and arrange for his golf buddies to meet him there. Lunch can be on you with a reservation at his favorite place. Give him a day to just do what he wants with no pressure from you to accomplish anything specific. Tell him the “Honey -do” list is being put away for the weekend in appreciation of all the other weekends he works so hard.
- Send him to work happy. If he’s got to go to work, get up early and make him a nice breakfast, and/or pack him a lunch with a love note inside. Tell him that he has a fun evening to look forward to, but don’t give away your plan. Send him a text later in the day to tell him that you’re taking him out to dinner. Text him again at the end of his work day with a photo of you dressed to impress.
- Arrange for couples time. Husband Appreciation Day is on a Saturday. Arrange for the kids to be cared for and carve out some couples time for the two of you. Let your man know that this is all about showing him appreciation and gratitude for all he does for you and the family. Take him for a couples massage, a hike or bike ride. Do whatever it is that you like to do together.
- Arrange a surprise. Take him to dinner and a movie, or, take him to a hotel for dinner or drinks and then let him know that you’ve booked a room. He’s got a fun and sexy overnight date in store for him. His reaction will be priceless.
- A gift is appropriate. If there’s something that you know that your husband has been wanting, but won’t buy for himself, this is a perfect time to get it for him. Maybe it’s tickets to a sporting event or concert, or maybe it’s a new toy or accessory that he’s been admiring. Surprising him with a thoughtful gift is a great way to show appreciation.
- Communicate with him. It doesn’t have to be a mushy greeting card kind of day. Simply hand your husband his favorite beverage, sit him down and tell him how you feel. Having a list in your hand is alright. Tell him just how much you appreciate all that he does for you and your family. Sincerely thank him, and then present him with your gift.
- Cook a special meal or order in. Create your husband’s favorite meal. If you’re not a cook, order in or pick it up at a local restaurant. Pair with your favorite wine or cocktail and enjoy a quiet meal together. Toast your love and your appreciation.
- Have a movie or game night. I know that couples don’t always agree on what to watch or what games to play. Insist that your husband is the one to choose what you’ll watch, or which game you’re going to play. Go along with his choice even if it’s not what you would choose. This is his night!
These are only a few ideas for celebrating Husband Appreciation Day. Obviously, the possibilities are endless. Be creative and unexpected. Do your utmost to break yourselves out of that routine I mentioned in the beginning of this blog. Surprise him with your ingenuity and thoughtfulness.The impact of what you do for him on his holiday will stick with you both for some time to come. Make some great memories, and see if you can totally blow his mind with your plans. Take lots of photos of the two of you together celebrating. These will be reminders in the future of the care you took to show him how loved and appreciated he is. You know your spouse, and you can make the best choices for something that he’s going to love on his special day.The main thing is for him to feel special, appreciated, and loved for being the amazing husband that he is for you every day. The answer of how to show gratitude is being yourself, love one another and make every day a special day.
