Routine is a necessary part of our lives, without it we would never get to work on time, the kids would always be late for school and there would never be anything in the fridge for tea. It gives our lives the structure that we need to get through the myriad of tasks that we face each day, however, when it comes to romance it is a big no no! Routine and romance do not mix, it is the fastest way to kill the fun passion and excitement and is to be avoided at all times.
Here is an extreme example of routine and romance. Every Monday Mrs x meets Mr x at the door with the same words “I missed you today welcome home” followed by a kiss that lasts exactly 1.3 minutes. She then pours him a beer, lights the candles and serves him steak, salad and a baked potato (his favourite dish). They chat about their day, he goes upstairs and runs a bath which they share. At exactly 8pm it’s off to bed for an “early” night. Now meeting your husband at the door with a kiss and a promise is a great idea (now and again!) but as soon as you create a routine out of it all surprise, delight and expectation is gone. You have turned romance into a chore, don’t do it!
I have yet to meet anyone that likes housework and that is because it is a monotonous, thankless task that has to be done every week. For Mr and Mrs x, a romantic evening has become about as exciting as doing the laundry. Don’t let routine become the vacuum that sucks the life our of your relationship.
A note for those with children: I know a certain amount of routine is necessary to get time alone together. A regular date night is an example of this. To avoid a scenario anything like my fictitious one above simply make sure that although the day and time may always be the same mix up what you do with that time to help the passion and excitement remain.