There are many easy ways a husband can show love and respect for his wife. A man who wants to be a respectful husband to his wife should focus on expressing words of appreciation for her work, being considerate of her time and supporting her house rules and efforts at child discipline.
Words of Appreciation Show Love and Respect
Just as a respectful wife appreciates her husband’s contribution to the family, a respectful husband takes the time to express words of appreciation for his wife’s work. In many households the wives handle the doctor’s appointments, birthday and holiday shopping, chauffeuring the children and at least some of the household chores and child discipline. A respectful husband understands that he is not burdened with these tasks and expresses appreciation that he has a partner who oversees these details. This is especially true for husbands who never need clean a bathroom or wash his own clothes.
Showing appreciation can be as elaborate as writing a great love letter or as simple as saying “thank you” for doing the laundry and other household chores. It can mean offering to bring dinner home on a particularly busy day for her or asking if there is one thing that would lessen her work at home. Fortunately, appreciation can be contagious. Husbands who take the time to express appreciation may find their wives are, in turn, more appreciative of his work at home and at the office.
Be Considerate of Her Time & Work at Home
Successful marriages are partnerships that consider each other’s needs, but being considerate is something that is easily lost in the daily grind. Few men would neglect to call their bosses if they knew they’d be late to work or take on a new project and then perform poorly. But many men have a problem alerting their wives to a change in plans or doing household tasks properly.
A respectful husband calls his wife as soon as he knows he will be late, not when he is already expected home or 20 minutes late. This simple considerate act goes a long way toward expressing respect for a wife, her time and her plans.
Similarly, a respectful husband understands the need to do a task properly. It is true that some wives have a specific way of doing things that are based on personal preference. However, some tasks truly have a “right way” of being done. Offering to help with the laundry means not washing her silk blouse in hot water and washing the floor means sweeping first to avoid spreading dirt around the house. When a household chore is done improperly and makes more work at home for his wife, a husband is not showing love and respect.
Furthermore, a husband who is demanding or slopping is weakening his marriage bond by acting like her other child instead of her partner. Men who want to build a strong marriage try to take care of the basics like using manners and picking up after themselves.
Child Discipline Can Cause Marriage Problems
There are several ways a husband shows respect for his wife in a home with children. Showing support for house rules, being considerate of her need to get away and not throwing her choices in her face contribute to love and respect in marriage.
One of the most important ways a husband shows respect for his wife is by showing support for her house rules when it comes to child discipline. Stay-at-home moms and work-from-home moms in particular find it necessary to create rules to keep the household running smoothly. A respectful husband understands this and does his part not to undermine the rules for the children. This can mean not offering to watch a video at bedtime or taking on the role of disciplinarian when a rule is broken and child discipline is necessary.
Love and Respect in Marriage
A respectful husband is also considerate of his wife’s need for a break. He offers to help get the kids into bed, watch the kids for a few hours or makes plans to take his wife out on a date.
In his book, Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs [Thomas Nelson, 2004], Dr. Emerson Eggerichs says a husband who is loving his wife properly is showing her respect. One of the most unloving actions a husband can take is to tell his frustrated and burnt-out wife that she chose to be a mom and should not complain about the kids or the workload.
By contrast, a loving and respectful husband understands his wife’s need to vent about the stresses of caring for young children. He responds with sympathy, words of appreciation and consideration for all she does. In return, he receives his wife’s appreciation for his support and understanding. The marriage bond is strengthened and the love and respect can flow both ways.
Husbands who want to show love and respect for their wives can focus on being appreciative of her work and considerate of her time. Acting like an equal partner and supporting her in child discipline are crucial to building respect in marriage.
 |
 |
 |
 |
