By Mark Webb, The Relationship Specialist
Priorities in a marriage often get turned around. This is especially true if you have children. Children tend to get the majority of our attention because they have greater needs. Since women typically do the lion’s share of child care, husbands need to make sure their wives are well taken care of. One way to do this is to Always Greet Your Wife First.
Husbands, if you want your wife to adore you, develop this simple habit. This minor adjustment will make her feel special and will let her know she is your priority.
Here’s how this works: Husbands, which family member generally gets to you first when you arrive home each day from work? Your children, right? They are so excited to see you. They practically knock you down with their enthusiasm, this is almost impossible to resist. Most husbands greet the children first, but for the sake of the children as well as your wife, do not do this. Always Greet Your Wife First.
Before I tell you why, let me give the husbands a little inside information that I have picked up as a marriage and family therapist. Your wife typically hides from you when you’re expected to arrive home. She wants you to be interested enough and care enough to come find her. If you think about it isn’t she normally in her closet or in the laundry room when you get home? Do not stop and read the mail. Do not sit in your recliner. Go find her.
Instead of stopping to hug the children, say to them, “Ya’ll help me find Momma.”
They will gladly help and you rush to where your wife is. Greet her with enthusiasm. Think about how your children and your dog greet you. Show about the same degree of enthusiasm. Look into her eyes. Embrace her. Tell her how glad you are to see her.
This kind of greeting shows her honor. It automatically conveys a message that she is special to you and she is your priority. It isn’t hard to do but it’s impact will blow her doors off.
After you have greeted her enthusiastically, greet your children with a similar response. The reason behind this relates to a matter of developing respect from your children for their mother. In most homes, the father can tell the children to do something and the children do it immediately. However, their mother can tell the children to do the same thing and the children give her a hard timed about it. Greeting your wife first helps squash this behavior.
When you greet your children first, then your wife, you are giving the children the message that they are more important than their Momma. They start believing that their daddy holds them in greater esteem than he does their Momma. Thus, they do not have to do what she says. However, when you greet their Momma first, then they see that you hold her in greater esteem and they will do the same. They will then be quicker to do what she says.
Someone will greet them first when they reach adulthood but for now, honor their Momma. Try this out today. You will feel better about yourself as a husband. The love and respect that you show towards your wife will come back to you multiplied.