Responsibilities of a Wife to Her Husband

By: Melody Causewell

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Relationships require work, which is hard if you are unsure what work you should be doing. By communicating with your husband, supporting him, developing trust and taking care of yourself, you will be able to fulfill your responsibilities as a wife.

Trust

In low-risk couples -- those who don’t have severe relationship issues -- higher trust leads to better relationships, contend Sandra Murray et al. in “Cautious to a Fault,” a 2014 study published in the Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology. This means offering trust, as well as earning it. Allowing your husband to make his own decisions and letting him know that you trust him are just as critical as being trustworthy by remaining faithful, sticking to agreed-upon limits, like spending and time at the office, as well as overall honesty.

Talk To Him

Partners have a responsibility to communicate well, so working on it is critical. Marriages are happier overall when wives demonstrate this ability, according to Richard Bloch et al. in “Emotion Regulation Predicts Marital Satisfaction,” a 2014 study published in the journal Emotion. If you have an issue, speak to your husband about it. Ask him questions so you know where you stand in any household or social matter. Listen to his responses and take his viewpoints seriously. If you’re feeling upset, let him know so you can discuss the issue and resolve it before it gets out of hand.

Support: Verbal and Otherwise

Provide your husband with support. If he needs someone to be on his side of a business argument, listen and give him a hug. If he is upset about something a friend did, tell him your thoughts and make sure he knows that no matter what happens with anyone else, you are going to be there for him. Expect that same support in return.

Take Care of You

In his article, Bloch notes that one reason communication is so effective in making everyone happier is that it allows everyone to calm down. If you are prone to emotional outbursts or are generally sad or anxious, pay attention to these issues so you can fulfill your responsibilities to the relationship. Practice taking deep breaths to calm yourself, and don’t be afraid to seek out social support or even a professional to deal with stress that seems out of control. By taking care of yourself, you will be more able to give your best in your relationship with your husband.