That age-old question: How to make a man feel loved and respected?
Whether you are at the start of a relationship or have years of marriage behind you, it doesn’t really matter – the truth is a man wants to feel loved and respected.
The basic principle is that we all want to feel loved, right?
And believe it or not, much like you, your boyfriend or husband wants to feel loved and respected too.
Maybe he doesn’t say it directly and aloud, but he definitely desires it.
It’s pretty easy to hook a guy with your beautiful looks and stunning physique, but developing a deep and satisfying emotional bond with a guy is the way to win his heart.
By doing so, you’re making sure he stays with you at all costs and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you.
When a good man feels loved and respected, he’ll go out of his way to make you happy and yearn to spend as much time as possible with you.
Keep in mind that men have a difficult time verbalizing their feelings, but it’s no secret that every man wants to feel loved and respected by their special one in life.
Saying those three little words “I love you” goes a long way in a happy marriage, but after a while, those words need to be backed up by actions.
It’s not just saying them, it’s also making sure that your special one feels them.
And if your hubby is going through a rough time, the only one who can make his day brighter and better is you, trust me.
A lot of time, women don’t realize that and instead go for the easy route – leaving their man to have some alone time.
Don’t forget, even the little things will certainly make his day and he’ll feel loved and respected.
Sometimes you don’t need to get out of your way and make grand gestures to make your man feel loved.
Cooking and surprising him with his favorite meal will certainly make his day.
A guy needs to feel desired in a relationship.
If you want your man to feel good about himself and your relationship, then you need to make him feel like he’s wanted and needed.
He’ll be reassured that he plays a significant role in your life, and therefore put in the extra effort to make your life perfect, because he believes his behavior toward you has an impact on your life.
Why do men love feeling needed and respected?
Well, the truth is that a man wants to feel like a real man. He has this desire to feel needed by a special someone, meaning you.
Men enjoy being in the role of protector, that’s why they want to feel needed by their better half.
And if he sees you happy and safe in your relationship, that’s when he feels good about himself.
It’s also important to recognize the love language your partner speaks so that you can be fluent in his language.
As I said earlier, small things really do make a difference when it comes to men. They’re a pretty big deal to them.
Here’s how to make a man feel loved and respected
1. Give him the opportunity to prove himself
I’m sure you’ve heard it dozens of times, but a real man likes to prove himself valuable by figuring things out on his own.
Men love to confirm their masculinity and confidence by making sure everyone around them knows they can handle stuff on their own.
As long as your man has the opportunity to prove himself to you, he’ll strive to do it well to prove to others.
He needs to get that affirmation that he can accomplish something on his own. It gives him a feeling like he’s a real man.
On the other hand, it’s quite interesting and fun for a man to spend a lot of time figuring out how to accomplish one thing.
You probably had your share of situations of seeing your man in distress and kindly offering him your help, where he didn’t just refuse it but also made strange faces.
I know you’re just being kind to him by asking him if you can lend him a hand, but he doesn’t realize you’re just assisting him.
On the contrary, he interprets that you don’t trust him that he can do things on his own. He may perceive it as you doubting his ability to handle things.
That’s why you should always leave him alone when you see he’s trying to fix things.
It’ll make him feel loved and respected if you give him the opportunity to prove himself, not just to you but to others as well.
Give him some space and time to deal with things on his own.
Your man might not always interpret you helping him as an act of kindness. He might think you don’t trust his abilities to take care of things.
True love means having confidence in his ability to figure something out all by himself. That’s what you should do if you want to make a man feel loved and respected.
2. Be there for him when he needs it
I know that life can be difficult sometimes, but how many times can you say that you were there for him when he needed it?
Don’t run away from spending time with your hubby.
That doesn’t mean you need to make him the center of your world, but do give him so much attention that it will make him feel like he’s your king and you’re his queen.
If you are busy and don’t have time to spend with him, it’s always a welcomed gesture to send some romantic messages to tell him you’re thinking of him and missing him.
Maybe you can ask your partner to go out with you and surprise him with an unexpected visit to a game or something similar?
Trust me, a real man will only appreciate you more if you make sure you’re devoting time to him only.
Don’t just reject his ideas of him taking you out. Accept them, and dress to impress.
You can always make an arrangement to have a date night once or twice per week.
Married couples tend to forget about the benefits of having those date nights.
By making sure you’re devoting your time to your hubby, you’re also making sure he feels loved and respected by you.
So, give it a go today.
One thing that some women don’t realize is that if your man feels loved and respected, then he’ll go out of his way to make sure you feel the same way too.
3. Let him have some man time
The most important thing you should always avoid, whether you’re dating or married, is to solely focus on your partner.
Remember, you have to have a life outside of your relationship.
That means understanding that your partner needs to have his alone time no matter what.
It’s difficult to comprehend this because we tend to think that the more time we give to our loved ones, the more they’ll think we love them.
But that’s not always the case.
Everybody needs some me-time eventually. You don’t want to come across as clingy or needy all the time.
This is especially hard to come to terms with when both partners are working and not seeing each other a whole lot.
You might think that he is casting you aside if he expresses the need for some alone time. But he’s not.
It’s never good to put a lot of pressure on your man.
If you want to steer clear of being clingy or needy, while at the same time make your man feel loved and respected, you can suggest to your partner to schedule your respective alone times.
By doing so, you’re showing him you’re being supportive of his need to focus on himself once in a while.
You’ll get your chance to read that book, work out, or whatever it is that you enjoy doing in your leisure time.
Unless he completely shuts you down and becomes absorbed in his alone time, your separateness can prove to be beneficial.
When you give yourself and your guy some me-time, you’ll have more things to talk about later.
Just give him a kiss when he says he’s off to do the things that make him happy and, trust me, he’ll definitely appreciate you more.
4. Show your appreciation
There are a lot of things that your partner sacrifices for you.
And if you want to make a man feel loved and respected, you can do that by showing appreciation to him.
Let him know that you’re not blind to his commitment, that you know how much effort he puts in to make your life as beautiful as it is.
If he gives you gifts or his time, acknowledge him and never take them for granted.
Saying “thank you” to your partner can get lost after you’ve been through a lot. But remember, most men don’t ask for much.
They just want to feel loved and respected for making sure you’re protected and provided for.
That “thank you” that you used to say to each other at the beginning of your relationship still holds so much power.
Show him that you appreciate him for the unconditional love that he gives you.
Even if he does small things like cooking dinner for you or bringing you a glass of water, remember that “thank you” goes a long way.
Don’t take it for granted and think it’s just a regular chore. A real man sacrifices a lot to make his woman feel happy.
You’ll definitely see him flashing his smile if you show your appreciation for the little things that he does.
5. Listen to what he has to say
In today’s time, it’s easy to get distracted and forget to listen to your partner.
Most of the time, men have a hard time listening to women, but ever so often it happens that women do the same thing too.
If you want to make your husband or boyfriend feel loved and respected, then listen to him.
Be attentive to what he has to say and make sure to remember the little things he mentions.
If you don’t understand what he wants from you, then ask him questions to make sure you take in his point of view.
But don’t ignore him. No one wants a partner who doesn’t listen to what the other one has to say.
If you want to make a man feel loved and respected, then just listen – even if he’s rattling on about his workday.
You may be bored, but remember your partner is opening up about things that make him feel vulnerable.
Actively listen to what he has to say and he’ll feel loved and respected.
Your responsibility isn’t to provide him with a solution. Just like you, he’s probably not looking for one.
He just wants you to listen to him and if he wants your opinion about a particular problem, he’ll be sure to ask you for it.
Give him listening ears and he’ll feel loved and respected for sure.
6. Just be supportive
You know what they say: “Behind every successful man is a woman.” Ask yourself: Can your man say the same for you?
Do you support him in his goals and dreams as he supports you? Do you encourage him to go after his dreams or do you tear him down?
Well, if you want your man to feel loved and respected, you should always be supportive.
That means you show interest in his career, job, and life goals he sets for himself.
As I said, men don’t ask for much. A real man just wants his woman to support him in his endeavors.
Every once in a while, a man needs a supportive hand, and that means you listening to what he has to say and offering sympathy to help soothe his pain.
It’s a simple thing to do and I believe you also expect the same from him.
Men want to feel love and a woman who’ll support them.
That means you may have the right words to encourage him to tackle the problem at hand and help him power through whatever storm he’s facing.
If you want your man to feel loved and respected, be his safe haven. Be the place he constantly goes back to and asks for help when he needs it.
Don’t nag him. Be supportive and your man will be happy in your relationship.
7. Compliment him
You’ve forgotten that men also deserve compliments, right?
Well, if you want your man to feel loved and respected, that’s what you have to do because men like compliments too.
Pay him a compliment once in a while. It’s sure to give him a much-needed boost and encourage him to face any challenges.
If he does something well, like fixing the sink or repairing the fence, tell him how great of a boyfriend or husband he is.
And don’t shy away from complimenting him in front of others either. Men love feeling masculine and useful in front of others.
This doesn’t just make him feel loved but also happy and appreciated.
Do not ever belittle your partner. Instead, be his biggest fan.
His self-esteem shouldn’t take a knock because of anything you’ve said. Instead, boost his confidence by praising him.
He’ll definitely appreciate it, especially if those compliments are coming from you, the love of his life.
Tell him how good-looking he is when he wears that shirt you like on your date nights.
Tell him how good he smells. By acknowledging your guy with genuine admiration, it will make him feel loved and respected.
8. Surprise him with gifts
You know that feeling you get when you get home and there are flowers waiting for you on the table?
That feeling you get when your hubby surprises you with an unexpected gift?
Well, that’s what you should also do if you want your man to feel loved and respected.
Do something for him on special occasions. Trust me, it’s not just women who like to be spoiled, men love it too!
A healthy and happy relationship is all about give-and-take. If he gives all the time and receives nothing in return, then that doesn’t speak well of you.
Just like you, your man wants to be surprised and pampered.
Maybe you could buy him that video game he’s been wanting for ages, or that book he hasn’t stopped talking about.
Men don’t want to be the only ones buying gifts. Remember, sometimes they act like big kids. And what do kids like most? Yes, gifts!
He’ll definitely feel loved and grateful that you were thinking of him if you surprise him with little spoils once in a while.
You need to make sure he knows you’re thinking of him and that you appreciate all he does for you.
9. Ask him for advice
Every once in a while, ask your boyfriend or husband for a piece of advice, even if you don’t really need it.
It’ll make him feel wanted and respected because it shows your man that you value him enough to do (or not do) something based on his opinion and judgment.
If you really want to make your man feel loved and respected, you have to boost his ego once in a while.
I know you’re an independent woman who doesn’t need him, but sometimes you have to make yourself appear vulnerable and ask for advice so that he can come in and save the day for you.
He’ll feel really good about himself within minutes, believe me.
Guys love to fix things and they often have wise insight into ways to overcome certain challenges and problems.
Take his advice and then be sure to thank him later.
10. Try to show interest in the things he loves
You may not like his hobby now, but after some time you might enjoy riding a bike with him or playing video games together.
If you try to show interest in the things he loves, you might be amazed at how well you two connect afterward.
Your relationship will feel stronger and you’ll love each other more after you start sharing some similar interests.
You never know, he might be down to try some of the things that you’re into.
But if you don’t fancy that particular activity he enjoys, don’t worry, you don’t have to force yourself into doing something you don’t like.
Just don’t try to detach him from his interests and you’ll be okay. Let him enjoy them in his alone time and you do your thing.
These were just some tips on how to make a man feel loved and respected.
But I also want to remind you that love can also be expressed through words, not just actions and how you treat someone.
So, here are some cute things that you can say to your boyfriend or husband that will make him feel loved and respected:
- I’m thankful for having you in my life.
- My life has changed for the better because of you.
- I’m proud to call you mine.
- Thank you for being mine.
- I can’t imagine my life without you.
- I hope you know how much you mean to me.
- God has blessed me with such an incredible man.
- I love the way you look at me with those gorgeous eyes.
- I will forever fight for us.
- You’re my first thought when I wake up, and the last one before I go to sleep.
- You’ve brought happiness into my life.
- I will always be there for you, no matter what.
- I love you the way you are – I wouldn’t change a thing about you.