How To Make Improvements In Your Husband

By Gary Chapman

Wives can't change their husbands, but wives can and do have a tremendous influence on their husbands, positive and negative.

How can you make that influence positive? Here are two keys to making your husband the Mr. Right you long for.

Give Him Praise

Men respond positively to praise.

One of the most common complaints men make in my office is: "Dr. Chapman, in my work I am respected. People come to me for advice. But at home, all I get is criticism." What she considers suggestions, he reads as criticism. Her efforts to stimulate growth have backfired because she is grading him on his performance from her point of view.

Give him praise. The fastest way to influence a husband is to give him praise. Praise him for effort, not perfection. You may be asking, but if I praise him for mediocrity, will it not stifle growth? The answer is a resounding "No." Your praise urges him on to greater effort and accomplishments.

My challenge is to look for things your husband is doing right and praise him. Praise him in private, praise him in front of the children, praise him in front of your parents and his parents, praise him in front of his peers. Then stand back and watch him go for the gold.

Make Requests Not Demands

None of us like to be controlled, especially men, and demands are efforts at controlling. "If you don't mow the grass this afternoon, then I'm going to mow it." I wouldn't make that demand unless you want to be the permanent lawn mower. It is far more effective to say, "Do you know what would really make me happy?" Wait until he asks, "What?" Then say, "If you could find time this afternoon to mow the grass. You always do such a great job."

Let me illustrate by applying the principle to you. How do you feel when your husband says, "I haven't had an apple pie since the baby was born. I don't guess I'm going to get any more apple pies for eighteen years." Now, doesn't that motivate you?

But what if he says, "You know what I'd really like to have? One of your apple pies. You make the best apple pies in the world. Sometime when you get a chance, I'd really love one of your apple pies." Chances are he'll have an apple pie before the week is over.

Requests are more productive than demands.