How to Treat Your Boyfriend

happy couple image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com

Many women want the perfect man, someone who will shower them with gifts, love them close to unconditionally, support them in times of need and make them laugh when they feel like crying. What many women do not know, however, is that many men want the same things in a woman. Ultimately, you goal should be to treat your boyfriend as you would want to be treated. However, there are a few specific tricks to the trade.

Have self-respect. If you respect yourself, it will be a lot easier for you to respect your boyfriend and vice versa. It is true that men like the chase and the mystery of a woman who is independent. However, no man likes a woman who lacks self-respect and does shameless things to get attention. Be sure you conduct yourself appropriately in social situations so that your man will be proud to be with you and know that you respect him. It is of the utmost importance to remember that you are a reflection of him to some extent. People will judge him based on the type of woman you are, like it or not.

Be generous. Nobody likes a partner who consistently puts themselves first. It is essential to remember that you must place your boyfriend before yourself whenever you can in order for him to do the same. Now, if you notice that you are putting him before you all the time and he never puts you first, it's time to move on. One-sided relationships foster codependence and that is never a good thing. You will be dependent on his approval, which you will never get, and he will be dependent on you mothering him. However, if you each learn to generously give of your time and efforts, you will go far in the relationship.

Try a little tenderness. Kindness is something that isn't often meted out these days. showing kindness means you intuitively know when your man needs your help or you could make his life a little easier by doing something for him. If you discover one of these moments, don't over analyze what he'll think if you help out, just help him. If you fear that he might think you're controlling, then offer the help first to see if he'll take you up. If nothing else, he'll be glad you asked.

Be selfless. Being truly selfless means you know when it's not a good idea to pick a fight. You know when to be helpful and when to back off. You know when your man needs alone time, and you know when he needs a lap to rest his head in. Every man will want to have time with his friends without you. This is not a reflection of how cool or uncool he thinks you are. And, even though this stage may not show itself until the relationship is firmly established, it's important for both women and men to have time without each other. This is where the selflessness will come into play. Let your man go and he'll come back even more happy that you had the maturity and confidence to let him go.