While marriage may come with its share of joys & challenges, some behaviors could suggest that things aren’t quite right. Research has identified specific signs that could indicate a husband isn’t being as supportive or engaged as he could be. These signs might be easy to overlook but being aware of them could be useful for your relationship—even if you’re the man. Here are twelve subtle signs of a not-so-great husband.
Featured Image Credit: voronaman /Depositphotos.com.
Avoids Shared Responsibilities at Home
A husband who always has reasons to dodge household chores, leaving the other person to handle everything, is a husband who’s not pulling his weight. Whether it’s cooking, cleaning, or paying bills, consistently avoiding shared responsibilities isn’t fair because a partnership works best when both people contribute equally to maintaining the home. Sharing tasks also strengthens your connection, so there’s no reason for anyone to avoid shared responsibilities.
Isolates Himself from Your Friends and Family
Spending time with each other’s loved ones is a normal part of a relationship and that means if a guy always skips get-togethers with your friends & family, that’s important. Avoiding these occasions could make him miss out on important connections that matter to you, which also makes social events awkward. It’s no fun when you’re always attending alone.
Keeps You Separate from His New Friend
Likewise, he might meet new people all the time but you never get to meet them because he refuses to introduce you to his new friends or colleagues. That feels rather like he’s excluding you, especially when you consider that sharing some social circles is part of building a life together. Being left out of this side of his world makes it seem like he’s keeping you at arm’s length, while being included shows he’s proud to have you by his side.
Exhibits Passive-Aggressive Behavior
When he makes offhand comments or gives backhanded compliments, it’s more than simply irritating, especially remarks like “I guess you tried your best” or “Not bad for someone like you.” These sayings feel dismissive and such passive-aggressive behavior may create tension & make you feel unsure about where you stand. You need to have clear communication to make sure that you’re both able to avoid misunderstandings.
Minimizes Your Feelings
A good husband doesn’t keep dismissing your concerns or tell you you’re “overreacting” because doing so isn’t harmless teasing—it’s a way of ignoring & belittling your feelings. Everyone deserves to have their emotions taken seriously by their partner and feeling understood is important in a supportive relationship. There’s no reason for a husband to continually minimize your feelings in this way.
Clams Up About His Feelings
It shouldn’t feel like you’re pulling teeth to get him to open up—when that happens, it means he’s keeping his thoughts & emotions locked away, which will make you feel rather isolated. Sharing what’s on his mind helps you maintain a good connection and being unwilling to talk about feelings creates a wall between you two. You need to have open & honest conversations if you want to stay close.
Sweeps Problems Under the Rug
You might recognize you have issues in your relationship but he dodges every serious conversation—that’s not great because ignoring problems doesn’t make them disappear. Instead, it just lets them fester and the only way to move forward together is by dealing with issues head-on. A husband who keeps sidestepping is turning those small problems into major issues that’ll cause you serious concerns later down the line.
It’s All “Me” Instead of “We”
Have you noticed how he always says “I did this” or “I’m going to do that” without including you? Being a team means sharing plans & experiences, while always talking about yourself could suggest he’s not fully committed to the partnership. You should listen to how he talks about himself and your relationship to see just how connected he really feels.
Yawns at Your Passions
You might share something you’re super excited about, yet he responds with a shrug, as he’s never able to muster up interest or enthusiasm for what lights you up. A supportive husband gets engaged with what makes you happy, even if it’s not what he likes, while indifference makes you feel like your happiness doesn’t matter to him. This could create a bit of a disconnect and also suggests that your husband isn’t such a great person.
Gives You “Hmm” and “Uh-huh” Responses
Similarly, whenever you pour your heart out or share a funny story, all you get from him is a “That’s nice” or “Sounds good” and other generic replies. This is rather telling because real conversations involve interest & questions, so his minimal responses will make you feel unheard. It makes it seem as though he’s not really invested in connecting on a deeper level, which suggests he’s a bad husband.
Seems Miles Away Even When He’s Right There
Even when you sit next to him, it feels like he’s a million miles away because he’s often lost in thought or daydreaming when you’re together. Being mentally present is rather important for staying connected and when he’s preoccupied all the time, it’s a strong sign that he’s not engaged in this relationship. In fact, he could be withdrawing emotionally or might have some stuff bothering him that he’s not sharing.
Doesn’t Notice When You’re Feeling Down
It used to be he’d pick up on your moods—but now he seems oblivious unless you spell it out because he isn’t able to work out your feelings. Of course, he doesn’t need to be a mindreader but in close relationships, partners often tune into each other’s emotions without needing a big announcement. His lack of attentiveness could make you feel unsupported, indicating he might be emotionally checked out.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
Like our content? Be sure to follow us on MSN.
Read More:
