Sunday, February 27, 2011

Respecting Your Husband in Public

Frugal Fix of the Day: Respecting Your Husband in Public

Issue: Helping your husband feel more respected and loved...for FREE!

Have you ever known one of those couples where the wife "fixes" her husband's facts while he is speaking?

Example: Husband is talking to someone and wife sits nearby (or hovers) and interjects random corrections...he says, "300." She corrects, "no, I think it was 279." He says it happened on Tuesday, she corrects: it was more likely on Thursday.

Not a big deal, right?

Except, if you think about it, it undermines him. It tells those around her that she doesn't trust her husband or his facts. It shouts disrespect. And I think it might embarrass him a little...although it seems like most husbands who have correcting wives are kind of used to it...

My husband surprisingly thanked me the other night after spending the evening with a couple who practices this sort of correction, for not doing that to him. This shocked me for two reasons. One, if you know my husband, he seldom complains about or criticizes anyone. He is an amazingly good person who sees little need to judge or criticize others (nice, huh?) and two, and I had never really thought about it before...it made me realize that the reason I felt this particular wife didn't respect her husband had a lot to do with this practice. It did really seem to display a disrespect and distrust for her husband...not to mention being highly annoying! Ha!

I am blessed with a husband without penchant for exaggeration or factual inaccuracy, but he strays from the "true" (read "my") account of facts from time to time.

So, the frugal fix for the day to have a husband who feels thankful, respected and confident, is to keep your lip zipped as a wife when you detect inaccuracy flowing from his mouth in public...and if the information really needs correcting that badly, perhaps wait until you are in private and gently, lovingly ask him if maybe he remembered inaccurately.

As always, I am open to respectful dissent...just a frugal thought for the day...

4 comments:

  1. hope you are not talking about me haha i notice i correct people all the time bad habit but never mean it disrespectfully lol

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  2. Most definitely not you and not anyone who reads this blog....:) Love you sister! I would never doubt for a moment your love and respect for Johnny! It is obvious in everything you do and say about him.

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  3. Beautiful thought for the day.
    I am sad when I see that happening - or any other belittling. We need to see our sweethearts through our loving eyes and not even desire to correct them, but only build them up. Haven't you noticed, when you are a positive, cheerful companion to your husband, you are inevitably repaid for that kindness many times over (which is not to say that should be our motivation, but it sure is nice!) Thanks for the reminder!

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  4. So true Lori! I have noticed that. Looking forward to building up my hubby after a long weekend when I could have controlled my tongue a LOT better.

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