1. WORKING SO HARD AT YOUR JOB/BUSINESS BUT NOT IN YOUR MARRIAGE
Men, your company, your career, and your business are growing and flourishing because you lead them; your marriage will grow and flourish when you lead it and dedicate time to it.
2. THINKING THAT FLIRTING WITH OTHER WOMEN IS NOT CHEATING
You may not physically sleep with other women, but emotionally cheating is also unfaithfulness. Receiving nude images and having phone intimacy with other women is also cheating. Talking suggestively and attracting temptations is also cheating. If you are a flirt, flirt with your wife. If you claim your wife is too rigid, treat her well, and she will respond to your kinky ways. She also wants intimate pleasure and to feel wanted.
3. BEING GENEROUS OUTSIDE AND STINGY AT HOME
Don’t be the husband who quickly says yes when other people ask for help, for your time and your money, but stingy to your wife and child/children. Your family comes first. Don’t go to harambees contributing large sums, helping out people because you want to have a good public image yet to your family you deprive and deny.
4. THINKING THAT SHOWING LOVE IS AN UNMANLY THING
When you were dating and courting, you were romantic and thoughtful; but now that you are married, you wrongly think showing love is beneath you. If you truly love your wife, tell her, she needs to hear it. Warm her heart. Romance her. Date your wife. Her being a wife doesn’t mean she doesn’t need to feel loved. Real men show their love. God is a loving God. If God doesn’t find showing love as something beneath Him, who are you to shun showing affection yet you are created in the image of God?
5. THROWING MONEY AND GIFTS AT PROBLEMS
When your wife and kids get concerned about you spending much time away from home, when you are told you are not doing what you are supposed to; change, improve. Don’t throw money and gifts at them to silence them. They want your time and presence, not lifeless things.
6. ADMIRING OTHER WOMEN MORE THAN YOUR WIFE
If you find other women better looking than your wife, work on your wife. Nourish her with compliments, buy her clothes you think she’d look good in, take her shopping, pamper her, love her up till she glows. Go to the gym with her. Jog with her.
7. WASTING YOUR FAMILY MONEY ON MEANINGLESS THINGS
Stop wasting your family money on alcohol, drugs, prostitutes, strippers, and addictions. Invest that money in your family, the future of your child/children. Even if you are a super wealthy man, you can find other ways to have fun that contributes positively to your family life. You can channel your money into more honorable things like supporting your parents, your siblings, the less fortunate, and the needs of society. You don’t have to be unfaithful and reckless just because you have lots of money.
8. JUSTIFYING PORNOGRAPHY
Pornography is lusting after other women on videos and images. This is actually cheating because you are desiring other women, not your wife. This also lays the ground for future acts of unfaithfulness. Because you see no harm in desiring strange women on videos and pictures, soon you will see no harm in desiring women in the streets, at work, in your neighborhood; then you might actually sleep with another woman.
9. THINKING THAT BEING THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY MEANS BEING A DICTATOR
This is what makes some husbands beat up their wives, abuse them, sit on them, and hinder their progress. Your wife is not your junior but your partner, she is one with you. Hurting her is hurting you. She is not your competitor, celebrate her progress. Being head doesn’t mean your word is law or that you treat your wife as a slave. In fact, because you are the head you should serve more, give more and humble yourself to make sure your wife and child/children are doing well.
10. IGNORING YOUR WIFE’S ADVICE
Don’t hide things from your wife. Engage her in making family decisions, you are stronger when you move as a team. Your wife has sharp instincts and she will help you navigate through life’s issues.
11. BEING TOO PROUD TO SAY SORRY OR TO LISTEN
You are capable of doing wrong, and when you do wrong, admit it. Problems don’t get solved when you deny them. You are not perfect. Learn to say sorry to your wife and child/children. By refusing to say sorry, you are showing your wife you are insensitive and that will hurt her and damage the mood at home. Sometimes all a woman needs is for you to say, “I am sorry.” Be open to learning and being corrected. Far too many men are ruining their homes because of pride.
12. ABANDONING YOUR SPIRITUAL ROLE
You are to lead your family, even spiritually. Don’t neglect this role and leave it for your wife alone. Your wife needs your prayers, she needs you to walk with her in God. Your child/children need to see you living for God, praying, and teaching them about God. You say you want a Godly household, well, be an actively Godly husband and father.
13. TAKING YOUR JOB TITLE HOME
Whether you are a C.E.O, Manager, Director, or an award-winning professional, once you get home or are with your wife and family, put away your title. Play your role as husband and father. Don’t treat your wife and children like subordinates, lording over them. The home is a place of love, not a place for orders, restrictions, pressure, and intimidation.
14. HIDING YOUR FAILURES
In case things don’t go well, you get fired, you get retrenched, or you make a bad decision; share it with your wife, don’t hide it trying to project a fake image of ‘everything is alright’. Your wife is there for you, she will walk with you. Share with her your weaknesses and failures. Love will always win.
15. WORRYING MORE ABOUT WHAT YOUR MALE FRIENDS OR PARENTS THINK THAN PLEASING YOUR FAMILY
Don’t let your friends or parents run your marriage. Don’t let your friends negatively influence you by mocking you that you are being sat on by your wife or wrongly advise you to be tough on your wife just to prove you are man enough. A true friend is a friend to your marriage. Your parents might mean well but might drive a wedge between you and your wife. You left your father and mother to be one with your wife. Defend your home.
16. BEING INTIMATELY SELFISH
Your wife has intimate needs too. Don’t just seek your own gratification and then sleep or leave her unsatisfied. Fulfill her physically. Kiss her, touch her, embrace her, massage her, stimulate her, explore her body, evoke her passion, make her tremble, give her every sensual pleasure. She is devoted to you, and no other can fulfill this role like you can. Make sure she’s fulfilled, and she’ll reciprocate. Your responsibility is to arouse her and satisfy her intimately. A passionately engaged wife is a content wife and fosters a harmonious home. Make love to her.
17. LETTING HER BE THE PARENT ALONE
When she gets pregnant, don’t abandon her. Walk with her as she carries your child. After birth, be proactive in teaching, mentoring, and guiding your child/children. Stop the nonsense of when the child does wrong, the child is your wife’s; when the child does well, you are a proud father.
18. FAILING TO PREPARE YOUR CHILD/CHILDREN FOR YOUR SUCCESSION
When you start a business, involve your child/children. Let your wife know of your properties, assets, and ventures. Prepare your children’s future. Write a will. Share information, don’t keep things in the dark. Too much unnecessary confusion plagues families because of lack of preparation in your marriage.