If you’re reading this, then it’s Valentine’s Day! It is certainly an exciting day filled with red roses, chocolate, and cute little teddy bears. While all of these things certainly make for great gifts and gestures, what if I told you most women want something more? Hold on, this doesn’t mean you blow out all the romantically lit candles and cancel that dinner reservation. All I am saying is maybe search a little deeper, and maybe you’ll understand your partner’s desires a lot more clearly. What (most) women really want is thoughtfulness, effort, and proof that you listen.
While every girl likes flowers (and yes, please get them for her if you already haven’t), what she appreciates more is the thought of flowers. She likes that you thought to get her flowers. More so than that, she would greatly appreciate it if you took into consideration things such as her favorite colors, favorite scents, or even her favorite flower type. Knowing these little things about your partner is thoughtful and is much more romantic than getting them something generic. This advice doesn’t just apply to Valentine’s Day, though. Going out to a restaurant, take into consideration your partner’s likes and dislikes and even any food restrictions. If you are planning on getting jewelry for your partner, know whether they prefer gold or silver and purchase jewelry. An extremely important thing that you should know about your partner is their love language — the way in which they prefer to give and receive love. This way it makes it easier for you to connect with them and makes your words and actions more meaningful. Knowing these types of things about your partner is a must and shows that you care.
All relationships take work, and romantic relationships are no exception. While grand gestures and thoughtful planning are nice to have, all of it is meaningless without being able to have an emotional understanding. The ability to talk about your feelings, how you are doing, and what is bothering you in an open manner to your partner showcases good emotional intelligence. On the flip side, if your partner opens up to you, you should be able to read them well enough to understand how to console them. For example, do they want actual advice or just for someone to hear them out? This helps with building trust and emotional intimacy. Connecting it back to Valentine’s Day, doing something special for your partner, and having it be more heartfelt and special directly ties into the understanding you have for each other.
Now, going back to what I said at the beginning, flowers, chocolate, and teddy bears are great. However, what women like more than just romantic gestures is effort. Efforts can look different for everyone based on everyone’s individual preferences and circumstances, but it can be done. For example, for a couple trying to save money, instead of going to a fancy restaurant together, they could make a cute heart-shaped pizza and prepare the ingredients that would display effort to their partner. On the flip side, for a couple that doesn’t get to spend a lot of time together due to busy schedules or long distances, making the time to see each other by planning an elaborate date would be the perfect move. Even if you don’t have so much time or money, doing something small, like writing them a heartfelt letter, is significantly more meaningful than just buying something.
Overall, Valentine’s Day is special and should definitely be an enjoyable day for both you and your partner. All of the things above just give a glimpse into what I think most women would appreciate. However, one final thing I’d love to say on this topic is that the advice listed above goes far beyond just this one day. Caring for your partner, understanding them, and doing things to make them happy is a long-term goal for any relationship. It takes effort, but seeing the smile on their face and the extra happiness they feel when you tailor it to them is simply unbeatable.
