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Even if you and your partner can tell each other just about everything, there are some things men just aren’t comfortable asking for—either because they feel it will make them seem high maintenance, it will make you upset, or it just makes them appear needy. You probably have some things like that, that you’d like to ask your partner, right? So it stands to reason that he does, too. You know that men have their precious egos to protect and sometimes wouldn’t dare to admit that they want to, for example, wear your fluffy robe with the clouds all over it because damn it’s cozy. And you know there are probably some ways they could ask you to clean up your act, but if they did, you’d have a laundry list of things they could do better, too. But, in case you were wondering, here are things your partner wants you to do but wouldn’t dare ask.
Acknowledge his hard work
You know that he works hard and you love his ambition. But do you tell him enough? While he works hard or himself, he also works hard for you. He wants to provide for you. He wants you to be proud of him. So don’t just think, “My man works so hard”—tell him.
Tuck him in
Yup, men like to be tucked in. That’s why he keeps letting you know that he’s going to bed and calling you in there to ask you random questions. Even if you aren’t ready to go to bed with him, he wants you to tuck him in.
Share your “girly” snacks
Your low calorie popcorn. Your fruit and yogurt cups. Your dried cherry and chocolate bars. He knows these foods are the bomb, but he feels as a man he’s not supposed to eat them. So just put a little extra out in case he is feeling peckish.
And your “girly” drinks
He’s no fool. Rose is obviously really tasty. And skinny margaritas are actually better than the originals with all that fake sweetener. He’s not oblivious to the fact that white wine sangria is where it’s at. But, he also feels embarrassed ordering this or asking for it. So just order for him.
Cuddle him more
Men like to be cuddled just as much as women do—if not more. But they don’t feel they’re allowed to ask for fear it makes them seem emotionally needy. Cuddle your man a lot and often. He likes it.
Tell him everything will be okay
He will never tell you that he needs to hear it, but he does: he needs you to say that everything will be okay. He has fears that his career won’t work out and that he won’t reach his goals. He needs you to tell him it will all work out.
Call more
He wants those little pick-me-ups during the day, just like you do. He wants you to call him, just to say you were thinking about him. He wants you to text him cute videos of the dog. He gets comfort in your voice.
Chill on the makeup; you’re gorgeous
He’s not going to tell you to wear less makeup, for fear that you’ll take that as him saying that you look bad in makeup. That’s not what he’s saying. He just feels closer to you when there isn’t a layer of stuff over your face.
Pretend to like his interests
Stop talking sh*t about his interests. Stop roasting his TV shows. Stop acting totally bored when he tells you about his hobbies. They are an insight into what matters to him. Take an interest.
Yes, bring a jacket
Stop asking yourself, back and forth, if you should bring a jacket. Bring it. You know you’ll want it. When you don’t bring one, you complain that you’re cold all night and he has to hear about it.
No, don’t wear those uncomfortable shoes
And no, he doesn’t want you to wear those shoes that hurt like hell but also look good as hell. He’d rather you wore the other ones, than have to carry you five blocks when your shoes start to pinch.
Stay awake a little longer
He wishes you’d stop frontloading glasses of wine so much at parties that you pass out 90 minutes into the event. Then he feels guilty for staying. Everyone points out how sleepy you are and that you may want to go home.
Tell him what presents you want
Just tell him. Don’t make him guess. It really doesn’t matter if he could figure it out on his own—what matters is that he wants to make you happy. So just tell him what you want.
Clean up your hair
He doesn’t want you putting your hair on the shower wall anymore. It terrifies him. It looks like the girl from “The Ring” was in there. If you live in a small space together, watch that hair trail.
Easy on the thermostat
Women are a bit more about that perfect temperature than men are. We will run that thermostat day and night because without it, we’d be two degrees out of our comfort zone. But that utility bill is high.