TikTok's Petite Romance Trend Is The Small Way To Make A Huge Difference In Your Relationship

For many of us, our idea of romance is created by watching movies like "The Notebook" or "Titanic," where love is all about showcasing big displays of romance. In "The Notebook," Noah single-handedly builds Allie her dream home, and Jack sacrifices himself to save Rose in "Titanic." The problem is, those are pretty big shoes to fill, and grand gestures like that just aren't sustainable for everyday life (especially the part about dying in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean). It can feel like we have to move mountains in order to express our love, but that's just not the case.

Recently, TikTok introduced to us a new type of romance known as "petite romance," which involves expressing love for your partner in more practical ways. Don't let the name fool you; a petite romance doesn't mean you love your partner any less. We don't all have the resources to perform grand romantic gestures (like renting out the Staples Center to watch our partner's favorite movie), which is why a petite romance is so great — you can still get your point across without spending a fortune to do it. It's a small way to make a huge difference in your relationship.

Remember, a petite romance isn't about a small love — it's about small gestures. These are things you can comfortably do on a regular basis that make your partner feel loved and appreciated. TikTok user @professorneil shares some examples of how he demonstrates petite romance in his day-to-day life with his wife, saying he always keeps an eye on where she puts her phone and her glasses in case she misplaces them. He also gets up every morning before his wife to make her coffee and brings it to her while she's still in bed.

See? You don't have to go to the ends of the earth to prove you love your partner. Oftentimes, we think everyone else is doing love better than we are, which puts pressure on ourselves to be the best. We get it in our head that we're a bad partner and we aren't doing the most we can, so we try to go above and beyond, even when it isn't practical. A petite romance isn't about the money or the extravagance; it's showing your partner you pay attention, even at times they don't realize it.

Because of movies and television, we have this image in our head that romance is nothing short of drama and screaming your love from the rooftops, but not only is this not sustainable, it's also not fitting for every couple. Not everyone wants their partner to propose to them on the jumbotron at a basketball game. If you're looking to improve your relationship and the intimacy between you and your partner, a petite romance can do that, too. In fact, small romantic gestures do more than you might think.

These small acts of love help create intimacy and sense of security, PsychCentral explains. When you go out of your way to do things for your partner, you demonstrate empathy and a sense of awareness, which ultimately takes your relationship to a higher level. If your relationship isn't where you'd like it to be, start by performing one small romantic gesture every day and watch how your love grows and transforms.