If You Want Your Wife To Respect You Quit These 10 Behaviors - Olubunmi Mabel

There are so many talks about how women should respect their men. 

When these discussions are had, you find that it is often said as a given that men should be respected. 

However, respect is earned – true respect, that is. 

Eye service and respect compelled by culture might be given whether a man deserves it or not, but genuine respect is earned. 

For instance, in conservative societies, women have formed the habit of showing some form of respect to their husbands, but respect is more about how someone sees you—how much esteem they accord you in their heart. 

That kind of respect is not automatic; as a man, you need to do certain things to ensure you get it. 

So, if you are wondering how to get your wife to stop disrespecting you, you need to quit these ten behaviors. 

1. Disrespecting Her

Respect is not only earned; it is also reciprocal. 

There are really no good qualities in life that we get if we don’t give it back. 

If you want respect, you must be ready to give respect. 

In societies where there is so much emphasis on respect for men, unfortunately, that of women is also deemphasized. 

But it doesn’t work that way. 

If your wife doesn’t feel respected by you, she won’t accord the same to you. 

So if you want respect, respect her. 

2. Not Listening

Another behavior to quit if you want your wife’s respect is not listening to her. 

If you consistently ignore what your wife has to say, you are basically itching to lose her respect. 

When you dismiss her thoughts or interrupt her rudely, you send the message that her opinions don’t matter, and that’s disrespectful. 

Respect in a relationship is built on mutual understanding, and that begins with listening. 

How do you understand her if you don’t listen to her?

Plus, not listening communicates that you don’t value her opinions enough. 

So if you want respect, you must make an effort to hear her out.

Listen to her serious discussions and her random chats about the day; they are equally important to her.

3. Breaking Promises

This is the most significant point on this list because it’s personal to me. 

I wouldn’t say it is one of my pet-peeves because it doesn’t just cause a slight annoyance. 

For me, it is grounds for cutting people off from my life. 

I believe people who break their promises lack integrity, and so I don’t want them around me. 

But you see, even if your wife doesn’t feel as strongly about it as I do, nobody likes it when someone constantly breaks their promise. 

When you repeatedly break promises or don’t follow through on commitments, it erodes trust and respect. 

Honestly, it doesn’t matter how small the promise is. 

Whether it’s something small like forgetting to help with chores or a bigger issue like not showing up for important events, consistency matters.

If you break your word for small things, there is no guarantee you will keep it for big things. 

So it doesn’t matter; small or big promises should be kept. 

If not, it communicates that your word can’t be trusted, making it hard for your wife to respect you. 

So, you should be more mindful of your promises and ensure that if you say you’ll do something, you stick to it. 

Reliability is key to building respect.

Now, let me balance by saying we are humans and so limited. 

Sometimes, things might really be out of your control, making it difficult to keep a promise. 

But someone who is big on their word won’t consistently have excuses to break their word. 

So, when they do, they are trusted that they must have found it difficult to keep it. 

And in those instances, you will see how sorry they are. 

This means you need to show great remorse when you are unable to do as you said, and you shouldn’t make it a habit to break your promises. 

4. Selfishness

If everything is always about you – your needs, schedule, and goals – it can make your wife feel neglected. 

Relationships are about partnership; when one person consistently puts their desires above the other’s, it leads to resentment.

A resentful wife cannot be respectful. 

In fact, she will lack the ability to respect you when all she feels towards you is resentment. 

If you want respect, take the time to listen to her needs, compromise where necessary, and show her that you’re willing to prioritize her as much as yourself. 

Marriage needs a balance of both parties willing to give up something to be healthy. 

5. Constant Criticism

Yes, she may not be doing some things right, and you wish she was better at some things. 

However, nobody enjoys being around someone who’s always critical, especially when it is their life partner. 

Constantly pointing out what your wife is doing wrong will eat at her self-esteem and respect for you. 

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t address certain issues, especially when they are serious. 

But address them respectfully, honoring her as your wife instead of speaking to her like a child. 

Additionally, learn to let some things go, especially if they are not that important. 

Learning to live with your spouse’s flaws is a given in marriage – not if you want it to last. 

Focus on her strengths and encourage her growth instead of nitpicking her every move.

6. Acting Like You’re Always Right

Nobody is perfect, so there is no way you will always be right in your marriage. 

But if you habitually shut down arguments by acting like you’re always right, your wife will be frustrated. 

It makes her feel belittled, like you are better than her because you are “perfect,” and she is not. 

When you are arguing, be willing to accept your fault; that’s a quick way to earn her respect. 

When discussing serious issues, be open to hearing her perspective and admitting when her idea is the best. 

If you want respect, you must be willing to acknowledge that you’re not always the authority on every issue. 

Humility can go a long way in earning and maintaining respect.

7. Avoiding Responsibility

Your wife will find it hard to respect you if she feels like she’s carrying the weight of the household or marriage on her own. 

We see this online often when men feel all they need to do is settle things financially, and all other things are not their business. 

That probably worked in previous centuries, but now when women work and contribute financially, refusing to pull your weight around the house is a sure way not to get respect. 

If your wife is constantly overworked because you leave all the house chores to her – whether or not you also provide financially – she won’t respect you. 

If she is not a full-time housewife who also works an external job, it is only fitting that you get involved domestically as well. 

But even at that, housework is a lot, and you can always chip in from time to time. 

8. Disrespecting Her Boundaries

Boundaries are essential in any relationship, and constantly pushing or ignoring your wife’s boundaries can lead to resentment. 

Disregarding her limits shows a lack of respect – emotional, physical, or personal space. 

If you want her respect, you must respect her boundaries and ensure that she feels safe and comfortable with you. 

For instance, if she wants a girls’ night out, don’t trail her with calls and interrupt her time with her girls. 

And when she occasionally needs space to refresh, let her have it. 

It shows her that you respect and value her, making her do the same for you. 

9. Not Valuing Her Contributions

If you fail to acknowledge the hard work and effort your wife puts into the relationship, the home, or even her career, it can feel like her contributions don’t matter. 

Unfortunately, many people put down their partners when they feel like they are doing more. 

For instance, don’t put her down because you earn more than she is or invalidate her contribution as a stay-at-home mum. 

Taking care of the home and children is a lot of work. 

She is the reason you can focus on your job and get promotions without hassle.

This is only possible because she handles all the domestic aspects for you. 

If you had to think about what to eat every day, take care of your children, and handle laundry and cleaning, you probably wouldn’t have as much time to devote to your career and business. 

So, whether a housewife or not, she deserves recognition and appreciation for her efforts. 

Show her that you see and appreciate her hard work, both big and small.

10. Dishonesty

Honesty forms the foundation of respect in any relationship.

If you’re dishonest, it damages trust, and respect can’t exist without trust. 

It doesn’t matter how minor the issue is; being transparent and upfront with your wife shows that you respect her enough to be truthful. 

Don’t lie to her or deceive her. 

Respect her enough to be transparent with her.