When you married your husband, your heart was full to the brim with love for him.  Then you watched him cradle your first born child, and you thought it might just BURST.  Am I right?

There is something so amazing about watching your husband father.  But over time, we fail.  We fail one another, and we fail in parenting.

Parenting has a way of showing our true and ugliest of colors. . .

 

It is the most sanctifying of all relationships (from my personal experience).  We learn what it means to go through the motions and just survive.  We are great at running on empty and siphoning our spouse’s gas – tank, instead of filling it up.

So how can we fill up our husband’s gas – tank ( and encourage him  ) ?  Here are ten simple ways:

 

Don’t grow bitter against him.

It is easy to start to grow bitter when you feel like you are doing all the work.  Talk about it with him.  Express your needs and communicate your heart.

Don’t compare him to other super – dads on facebook.

Facebook and other social media outlets can give you a false impression that other dads don’t lose their temper or have bad Dad days.  It’s just not reality.  Don’t compare… it’s a slippery slope.

Compliment him for what he does right!

Make sure you are complimenting for the things he does right.  That means taking time to notice and verbalize it to him.

Let him feel the joy of their love.

There is nothing like feeling the joy of your child’s love and affection.  That means letting them spend time with their Daddy.

Support him in his decision making.

If we are always fighting against our husband’s decisions, it will make him feel defeated.  Support him and be his number one cheerleader.

Show him respect in front of your children.

There’s nothing more degrading than questioning and disrespecting your husband in front of your children.  They are always watching, and they will learn to copy what we do and say.  Practice showing him respect, especially in front of little eyes and hearts.

Ask for help instead of assuming.

If you are feeling burdened, ask for help.  Don’t assume that your husband knows you are struggling.  Ask!

Give each other time to unwind.

It is so important to give one another time to unwind after our days.  This may take some time to learn what the other needs.  It may mean one day we selflessly give, when we would like to take a nap.  When we respect and honor one another, we will desire each other’s best!

Love him well.

Love him well.  Affection, respect, time, all of it goes a long way to relax and put a smile on a weary man.

Critique wisely.

There will be times where we need to address things with one another.  Be carefully not to belittle and criticize, but to critique with a humble attitude.  Together.  You are a team!

 

What about you?  What helps in your relationship?