Podcast Summary: The Dr. Laura Podcast
Episode: Avoiding Marriage Becoming a Daily Boring
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Date: February 8, 2026
Overview of the Episode
In this episode, Dr. Laura explores how routine and monotony can erode marriage, making it “daily boring.” Drawing inspiration from a “Fatherly.com” article titled "What I Wish I Told My Wife More Often According to 12 Men," she shares heartfelt regrets from husbands about things left unsaid, adding her own signature commentary and practical marriage wisdom. The focus is on small but meaningful ways spouses can keep marriage alive, connected, and loving, even amidst the busyness of daily life.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Slippery Slope of Routine
- Dr. Laura opens with a candid reflection on how routine can take over a marriage:
- “[Routine]...and the comfort of routine, you slip into that and then you wonder what happened to the marriage. People don't fall apart. They don't even grow apart. People push each other away by a lack of action.” (02:10)
- Inaction is the enemy: Failing to actively connect pushes partners apart more than dramatic conflicts.
- Daily intention matters: Dr. Laura emphasizes the need for intentional daily action to “love, honor, and cherish.”
Dr. Laura’s Key Marriage Tip
- Wake up with this question: “I say you should wake up in the morning and before you pee or brush your teeth, just turn to look at your spouse and in your head think, what can I do to make him or her happy? They're married to me. Every day you should wake up like that.” (03:00)
12 Husbands’ Honest Regrets (from Fatherly.com)
Dr. Laura lists and discusses the most common, heartfelt things men wish they’d told their wives. Select quotes from the article are read and elaborated on.
1. Express Gratitude and Appreciation
- “I wish I had taken the time to tell my wife how much I appreciate her and love her. Being around someone every day, you tend to leave things unsaid.” (04:00)
- Russell (Oregon): “I so appreciate all the things you do for me… I wish I would have expressed my love and appreciation to my wife more often.” (04:30)
2. Just Listen, Don’t Problem-Solve
- Jack (programmer): “Before she finishes her sentence, I’ve got a five-step plan in place…and I’m shocked that she’s not ready to start executing it. In reality, she probably just wants me to shut up while she vents.” (05:10)
- Dr. Laura: “She’s perfectly capable of figuring out her own problems. I should have just lent an ear.” (05:25)
3. Vocalize Admiration
- Sean: “I kick myself for not telling my wife how much I truly admire her…She’s a warrior, a nurturer, lover, a friend, a confidant…Telling someone you admire them is different than telling someone you love them.” (06:05)
- Admiration is “like a peak or a spike of joy and amazement.” (06:20)
4. Say “I Like Spending Time With You”
- John: “I don’t think I ever looked my wife in the eye and told her that I truly do just enjoy being around her…It’s not natural thing for me to say, but that’s what would make it special.” (07:00)
5. Offer Specific Help and Be a Team
- Jimmy: “I wish I had been more deliberate in my offers to help out…I need to start asking her very specifically what I can do.” (08:10)
- Dr. Laura: “There’s no off season. That said, I regret not being more deliberate in my offers to help out.” (08:20)
6. Recognize Her as a Great Mom
- James: “I forget just how much my wife does and endures as a mom of young kids…I wish I took more time to tell her…that she’s a great mom.” (09:00)
- “Being a mom can be a fairly thankless and discouraging task. She is doing so amazingly well.” (09:40)
7. Be Her Biggest Fan
- Dan: “I don’t think I’ve ever told her how much of a fan I am of her. Every time she shows me something she painted, I tell her how impressed I am. But I’ve never told her that I’m a genuine fan of who she is...I want her to know that I’d be the guy in the stands with her name body painted on my stomach.” (10:00)
- Dr. Laura: “That’s high praise. That’s commitment. That’s love.” (10:45)
8. Compliment Her Physical Beauty with More Than One Word
- Alan: “Try using more than one syllable to let my wife know that I’m still physically attracted to her after all these years.” (11:00)
- Suggestions: “You’re breathtaking. You’re enchanting. You’re exquisite. Use more than one sentence to tell her how much you’re still attracted to her as a woman.” (11:15)
9. Tell Her She’s Funny
- Jerome: “She’s just genuinely funny and adorable…Laughing is a reflex, telling someone you think they’re funny and that they make you smile with their humor is a choice.” (11:30)
- “Every time she makes me laugh, I realize how lucky I am.” (11:50)
10. She’s Your Best Friend
- Jay: “When I think about it, my wife truly is my best friend…Having a best friend is a gift. Having it be your wife is even more special.” (12:15)
11. Communicate When You Need Time to Process
- Rich: “I tend to internalize everything so I can organize it in my brain before I start talking...My first step has been to preface before I get quiet in a thought by explicitly saying, just give me time to think.” (13:00)
- Dr. Laura: “Women don’t need much time to think. We flow. They often need time to think.” (13:30)
12. Remember You Are a Team (Especially After Kids)
- Emory: “Honey, we are a great team. I think we still are. It’s something I wish I would have realized and continued emphasizing a long time ago...and now I have plenty of chances still to say it.” (14:00)
Dr. Laura’s Closing Words
- “Women, you have your expectations and understanding. And men, you have your marching orders.” (14:45)
- Dr. Laura stresses the importance of not letting routine erode the relationship—it takes conscious, daily effort from both partners.
Notable Quotes
- “People don’t fall apart. They don’t even grow apart. People push each other away by a lack of action." — Dr. Laura (02:10)
- “You should wake up in the morning and, before you pee or brush your teeth, just turn to your spouse and think: What can I do to make him or her happy? They’re married to me.” — Dr. Laura (03:00)
- “Telling someone you admire them is different than telling someone you love them.” — Sean, via Dr. Laura (06:05)
- “Having a best friend is a gift. Having it be your wife is even more special.” — Jay, via Dr. Laura (12:15)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 02:10 – How routine leads to “boring” marriages and the damage of inaction
- 03:00 – Dr. Laura’s daily intention tip for marriages
- 04:00 - 14:00 – The 12 men’s confessions and Dr. Laura’s commentary
- 04:00: Regret #1: Expressing appreciation
- 05:10: Regret #2: Listening rather than solving
- 06:05: Regret #3: Vocalizing admiration
- 07:00: Regret #4: Enjoying time together
- 08:10: Regret #5: Offering help
- 09:00: Regret #6: Recognizing her as a mom
- 10:00: Regret #7: Being her fan
- 11:00: Regret #8: Complimenting beauty
- 11:30: Regret #9: Appreciating humor
- 12:15: Regret #10: She’s your best friend
- 13:00: Regret #11: Communicating need for space
- 14:00: Regret #12: Remembering you’re a team
- 14:45 – Dr. Laura’s closing challenge: conscious, daily connection in marriage
Final Thoughts
This episode offers both heartfelt stories and practical wisdom, urging listeners—especially husbands, but wives too—to revive their marriages through daily intention, affirmation, and teamwork. Dr. Laura masterfully weaves together real-life regrets with actionable advice, making this episode a must-listen for anyone looking to avoid the trap of a mundane marriage.