A cup of tea works wonders for women
A cup of tea is the secret to a strong marriage, far outranking sex — for women at least — a new British study finds.
Men who make their partner a cup of tea or breakfast in bed are doing more to build a lifetime bond than those who lavish flowers or expensive gifts on them, according to the study conducted by the Open University.
Women in the study ranked having a cup of tea made for them ahead of having their opinions valued and well ahead of sexual intimacy.
Funded by the U.K. Economic and Social Research Council, the study involved interviews and surveys with more than 5,000 people of all ages, occupations and sexual orientations.
Couples were asked to list two things their partner did to make them feel appreciated. So many participants listed making tea that it had to be given a category of its own when the results were analyzed.
“There is something peculiarly British about a cup of tea that seems to speak a thousand words,” said Dr. Jacqui Gabb, a senior lecturer in social policy at the Open University.
For women with children, having tea made for them was the fourth most important way of being shown appreciation. But for fathers it languished at 15th, one place below sex.
Thousands of couples were asked to describe aspects of their marriage or relationship which brought them least satisfaction. While many listed fundamental issues with intimacy or understanding, others took the opportunity to list more mundane traits in their partners which irritate them.
A partner driving too slowly emerged as a major bone of contention, as was eating noisily, snoring and failing to do household chores.
Women also vented their fury over their husbands’ reluctance to talk about money, failing to switch off lights and biting their nails.