The male ego is fragile. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology discovered that male self-esteem dropped when men were told their wives performed better on a test than they did. As crazy as that sounds, the fact is, men’s self-esteem can be bruised without us not fully understanding why.
But regardless of their self-esteem status, men need to know you care, that you are appreciative, and that you love them. Just as daily compliments and sweet kisses make us feel wanted and attractive, there are similar things we can do for our men to help validate their ego.
The things we say and do mean much more than men lead us to believe. Seldom do they admit to their specific emotional needs but, in many ways, they want the same things. Your man wants to feel loved; he wants to feel attractive; he wants to feel capable and needed.
Meeting those needs doesn’t take a lot of money or require rocket science. As with all relationships, ultimately, it is the small (but far from minor) things that count. Has your man been down in the dumps? Or are you looking to keep his spirits high? Take an assessment and even if he is his normal silly self, he still needs to understand that you love him.
Here are a few tips for making a man feel needed and wanted:
1. Let him order for you.
Ask him to take you to one of his favorite restaurants and insist he orders for you. Since it’s his spot, he will enjoy selecting something he’s certain you will like. And, if you don’t like it, don’t stress. Just send it back and let him try again.
Also, if you are not into him paying for the bill, offer to get dessert or cocktails at another restaurant. Offering to pick up the tab is always a nice way to show that you are a confident woman who is not taking advantage of him. Just be mindful that not all men want you to pay for things.
A study from EliteSingles revealed that it’s time to rethink the stereotype that women want men to pay for the first date. In fact, the study of 300,000 singles shows that it’s actually men who are more likely to think that men should foot the bill. 63% of men believe it is the man’s job to pay on a first date.
