For The Men Lucky Enough to Win My Daughters
I was blessed to be loved by a man who knew how to be a great husband. I want my girls to be as blessed as I have been. There are several things I would like for the men in my girls’ lives to know…just in case no one ever told them:
1. Always make her smile.
2. Never ever ever cut her down or insult her….ever.
3. Make sure your words always help her to feel good about herself.
4. Mother nature is not always kind to her, usually because of the sacrifices she makes to give you children. Find ways to appreciate her body and the changes it endures. See the beauty in every stage of life.
5. Brag on her to your friends, and to her friends, and to anyone who will listen.
6. Be her friend, her companion, her lover, her soul mate, the wind beneath her wings.
7. Support her efforts to feed your children the healthiest way possible. Never make her choose between pleasing you and nursing her babies. Find a way to enjoy the process as much as she does. Encourage her and find ways to help her when it isn’t as enjoyable.
8. Talk to her. Tell her about your day. Listen to her tell you about hers.
9. Crawl yourself out of bed and change a midnight diaper and bring a baby to bed for her to feed.
10. Feed her while she’s feeding your babies.
11. Hold her hand while walking down the street.
12. Hold her head when she’s puking her guts up.
13. Tell her she’s beautiful no matter what length she wears her hair.
14. Play with your kids when you get home from work so she has a few minutes to soak in the bathtub. She probably hasn’t had thirty seconds alone all day.
15. Hire a babysitter or find a grandma and take her out on the town often.
16. Take her on adventures.
17. Be her knight in shining armor.
18. Allow her freedom to grow and evolve.
19. Teach your kids to love and respect their mother. Set that example for them.
20. Be affectionate. Let your kids see that you adore their mom.
21. She is not your maid. Put your underwear in the hamper.
22. Realize that she doesn’t necessarily need you to solve every problem. Sometimes she just needs you to hold her while she walks that path herself.
23. Teach your children to be kind, caring, and honest people. If you manage to do that, they will be successful in every part of their lives.
24. Hitting is not discipline and it is not love. There are a thousand ways to train up a child that don’t involve hitting. Learn about them.
To be continued………
You set the bar high, as any mother(I hope) would. I am afraid, looking back on 46 years of marriage, that I frequently didn’t reach that bar. I have tried to change that in the last ten years. I’m sure Gena would be the first to say I haven’t done too well, and she would be right. Any woman that a person that one chooses to marry deserves to have your list followed faithfully.
I consider these strong suggestions…..as in, good advice if a guy even wants a chance with my girls. These ladies are some pretty amazing women. It’s gonna take some pretty amazing men to keep up with them. I wish I could rock even half the confidence they do.