This time of year, as Valentine’s Day rapidly approaches, there are a number of articles and things for men out there to find great Valentine’s Day date ideas, gift ideas, do’s and don’ts, and so on. But, there isn’t a lot of advice out there for women. So, here are some thoughts and pieces of advice for women out there on Valentine’s Day, whether you are single, in a relationship, or married.
All the Single Ladies (couldn’t resist)
Some people have referred to Valentine’s Day as “Singles Awareness Day,” and there’s nothing like hearts, chocolates, elegant proposals, and elaborate gifts to make a woman acutely aware of the fact that she is single. While there are a few women out there who are fine being single, most single women have a hard time facing another Valentine’s Day alone. This can be especially painful if they’re recently single or if their loved one is away.
There’s bound to be at least one other single woman in your life that’s feeling the same way, so why not decide to be each other’s Valentines? Go ahead and buy each other chocolates and flowers and sit down and watch a sappy chick flick together over a bottle of wine. Talk about old boyfriends, laugh about the good times, and cry about the bad times. Who says Valentine’s Day is strictly for lovers? You can celebrate the love of friendship and remember that as long as you have good friends, you’ll never be alone.
Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Your Woman
Women in New Relationships
Newer relationships are ones that are just a few months or less. Since things can still be awkward at this point, set yourself up for a successful Valentine’s Day by lowering your expectations and cutting your guy a lot of slack. This is especially important if he’s not overly thoughtful, highly sensitive, or psychic. If he does ask you what you want to do for Valentine’s Day, be specific and keep in mind that it has to be something he is able to do that won’t put a lot of pressure on him. If he doesn’t ask and Valentine’s Day is super important to you, be direct in asking if he’s making plans or offer to make plans yourself.
Don’t be afraid to take the reins on this one, and show him how you like to be treated. Set him up for success by telling him exactly what you want, whether you’re hoping to stay in and watch your favorite romance movie with him or whether you have a particular restaurant in mind that you’ve been dying to try. You should also be specific when it comes to gifts. In most cases, dropping hints doesn’t work as well as you think it will. When you put some work into planning this Valentine’s Day, then you’ve got a much better chance at enjoying your day and taking a lot of pressure off your significant other.
Women in Older Relationships
You’ve probably been through Valentine’s Day or other important holidays and anniversaries before with your significant other at least once so you likely know what to expect out of this Valentine’s Day. If you enjoyed what he did for you last year, then expect something similar. With most guys, if they find something that works, they will likely try it again, and not realize that you may want them to top what they did for previous Valentine’s Days or other celebrations.
Some guys, however, will feel the pressure of trying to top previous years. If you know this is the case with your partner, take a step back, relax, and let him do his thing. If you think he’s working on a big surprise dinner, ask him about it enough that he knows you’re looking forward to it, but don’t do any fancy detective work to figure it out. Let it be a surprise and he’ll feel like all the work was worth it. If you know about what he’s planning, do your best not to step in, since this is his moment to shine as your partner, and you want him to be able to take all the credit.
Women Who are Married with Children
If you’re married with children, you probably already have lower expectations as to what your Valentine’s Day will look like. However, since you still love your husband and he appreciates you, you should take this chance to spend some quality time together. Take some time in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day to plan on doing something together, even if it’s just taking a bubble bath together after the kids are in bed.
Marriages that are the healthiest are those where the couples make sure they are spending quality time alone together . That means shipping the kids off to Grandma’s house every once and a while, even if it’s just for an evening alone. Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to spend extra quality time together. If possible, get a babysitter and spend the evening in a hotel with room service. Turn off all your electronics and just enjoy being with each other in uninterrupted peace.
Whatever your relationship status this Valentine’s Day, there are plenty of ways you can enjoy it and make the best out of it. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that while Valentine’s Day may seem like a big deal, a couple months from now it will probably just be a distant memory. Plus, if all of your Valentine’s Day dreams don’t work out this year, there’s always next year.
