What's worked to make your marriage/relationship successful?

Pray together.
Couples that pray together stay together (according to a 2013 Gallop poll, the divorce rate for couples who pray together daily is 1 in 1,153 )

If you aren't into that, all is not lost - proceed to tip 2.

Go to bed at the same time every night!
Sounds dumb, but you'd be surprised how effectively it stops the drift.

 

Communication. Voice your frustrations and issues and encourage her to do the same and when she does...listen.

Get out and get away from kids if you have them every few weeks. Spend time not being mom and dad.

And jealousy screws up any relationship

 

Chain her to the stove in the kitchen.

 

Teaching her what kind of sandwiches you like early in the relationship.

 

Don't get caught doing bad things. You can't get in trouble if you don't get caught.

 

Make it a habit of sleeping with 1 hand on her boob.

 

Be good at sex

 

And if you're not there's still hope. I'm going 8-9 years strong.

 

Lie. She's always pretty, never fat, everything looks great on her, she's not annoying.

 

Never take your bad mood out on her. Be honest but kind and tactful. Help out around the house, keep **** clean, do "manly" work (yard, changing light bulbs, fixing things, etc...learn how to make yourself useful), help do "womanly" work (laundry, dishes, clean floors/bathrooms/vacuum/whatever). Lean how to cook at least 2 or 3 great dishes, preferably more. Before you go out somewhere, tell her she looks beautiful before she asks your opinion. Double down on the oral sex when she's mad/stressed. Buy flowers, but not when she expects them. Ask her how her day was, ask her what's on her mind and just let her talk if she wants to.

 

Working through your problems. People these days want to avoid/ignore the issues, sit down, compromise and try to fix them before they get worse.

 

Separate bank accounts.
Sex twice a week.
Prozac.

 

...learn how to give a proper massage. Do your best to like/tolerate her family and friends. If she wants to watch TV/movie, let her watch whatever the hell she wants, then make it clear that you get to pick the next one. Let her pick out/buy/suggest clothes (always within reason, I'm assuming she has good taste). Keep her away from the thaddeus.

 

You can be right or your can be married.

When you feel a fight coming on think to your self, is this a hill I want to die on?

 

First two responses nailed it. Also spice things up once in a while, and "court" her even if already married.

 

I know you're well meaning but both of these things are horses***.

My wife and I have been together for 18 years, married for going on 15. I'm not going to say we've not had problems but at no time would those things have been solved or made better by praying together (especially since she's Catholic and I'm currently unaffiliated) or going to bed at the same time. That's silly Facebook "10 things to make your relationship better...#7 blew me away!!!" post garbage. If I went to bed at the same time as her (an elementary school teacher who has to be at school early), I'd just be staring at the ceiling for 2 hours.

You have to definitely find time to be a couple and not parents if you have kids. You have to obviously be honest with one another and communicate. You have to allow for her to have her time and hopefully she'll allow for you to have yours. Since we've moved back and are closer to family, it's made things a lot easier for us to get our time together and apart.

But probably the most important thing next to trust is making sure she knows you have her back.

 

Be equal partners.

 

Let her get plowed by any and everyone she wants.

Spoiler

Oh wait, that didn't work!

 

endless amounts of junk food from around the globe. Pepperidge Farm remembers.