by Joyce M. George-Knight

Created on: September 13, 2009

Wives complain about being taken for granted, but they do the very same to their husbands. Now, I'm talking about after a couple has been married for a number of years and have grown used to, and perhaps somewhat tired of, each other's habits. While perhaps a wife was disrespectful of her husband occasionally, at this point it tends to increase. Before you reach that point in your marriage, let's consider some ways in which you can prevent this from happening. Just how does a wife show her husband respect?

There may be times when hubby doesn't use what you consider to be his best judgment in a situation. You then have a choice of ignoring him, putting him down or being supportive. Certainly if this situation involves other people, my guess would be that you should be supportive, the respectful thing to do, and speak with him privately at a later time. An approach could be something like, "Could that have been handled differently?" In using such an approach, you are being constructive.

Okay, so he tells the same jokes over and over again. He's alive, he's your best friend and he treats you with love and respect. So, humor him and laugh at his jokes. They were hilarious to you at one time. If you've an opportunity to point out new jokes, you may do both of you a favor.

We're not all perfect. Nor do we think or react in the same manner. Husbands can tend to exaggerate or vary stories a bit. Is it worth being critical of his recollection? Most likely, the answer is "no." As long as they aren't total lies, why make a big deal of it?

You most likely recall hearing a wife criticize her husband with something like, "How could you make such a stupid statement?" or "What a dumb thing to do." What was your immediate response to the situation? Did you feel the husband's humiliation? Did you want to take that wife aside and tell her a thing or two? My guess is that you wanted to but that you minded your own business and kept on going. Such an incident reminds all wives to think before we speak. Such inappropriate and immature behavior tells more about her and is far more damaging to her than it is to her husband.

You married your husband. At the time, he was tops in your book. He could do no wrong. If you've been supportive of him throughout your marriage, encouraging his best efforts, cheering him on when times weren't the greatest, always boosting his morale, you've been very respectful. Kudos to you.

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