Marriages only succeed with trust. Working through difficulties can be painful, but ignoring problems only exacerbates them, and the consequences can be dire.
Still, spouses hide many things from each other. Men are most likely to hide infidelity and financial problems. This article shares more about that and five other less obvious things husbands hide from their wives.
1. Interactions With Other Women
Unsurprisingly, this is at the top of the list. However, this is different from what you might think. They also hide interactions that are not sexual.
He might not tell his wife he shared something personal with another woman; they had coffee, went shopping, etc. Why? There are different reasons, but it’s a sign there is something wrong. He might hide it because he has feelings for the other woman or his wife is the jealous type.
Hiding interactions with women will quickly send a man down the road to a full-blown affair.
2. Financial Issues
He might hide his financial situation if his or his wife’s spending spirals out of control. In the first case, he doesn’t want her to know he has financial problems or is hiding debt. In the second, he might be stashing money away for the rainy day on the horizon.
If issues don’t get resolved, things can escalate. Holding back resentment can lead to drastic decisions, such as cutting a spouse out of a will. It does happen, although it’s illegal in some states.
Sound worrying? There are ways to determine who is on someone’s will, even if the testator is still alive.
Now would be a good time to get everything out in the open. Financial mismanagement can lead to shame and embarrassment, but if you don’t drag it out into the light, it won’t change. The road to financial responsibility starts with calm and constructive communication.
3. When He’s Hurt
People will insist they’re fine even when they don’t look it. Men can be tempted to appear strong and resilient as stereotypes direct them to be. He might think being hurt makes him weak or doesn’t want to start a fight or make it worse. He prefers to become bitter silently.
Bitterness breeds resentment – see the point above. It’s better to be open about something your wife did or said than keep your feelings bottled up. If you do open up, forgive and let it go. Don’t nag.
4. The Fear He Won’t Get Her Back After Children
When a man becomes a father, he can begin to fear that he isn’t going to get his wife back as she’s occupied with the baby. Again, being open is recommended. Maintaining your intimacy is very important, so if you have had a child recently, discuss ways to regain your closeness. If you’re pregnant, now is an excellent time for this conversation.
5. He’s Stressed Out
Men are afraid to share that they feel stressed out for the same reasons they don’t admit to being hurt. They want to look tough. Your wife can already sense it; you’ll stress her out by making her wonder what’s wrong. Ultimately, this can hurt your marriage.
The idea of marriage is that you’ll have someone to soothe you. Sharing your fears and insecurities can bring you closer together.
6. Infidelity
There are two main reasons people in a serious relationship cheat. Something is missing, and they are sexually dissatisfied. Men are more likely to cheat for this reason. They are stuck in a sexual rut. Sex has become predictable and boring.
Many men tell their wives they want more sex, but that doesn’t always have the desired effect due to miscommunication and mismatched expectations.
The other common reason is that the cheating partner secretly wants to get caught because they want out of the relationship. Women are more likely to cheat when this is something they want.
7. He’s Happy When She’s Not There
It sounds painful, but it’s true sometimes. He feels better when she’s not there but doesn’t want to cause discomfort by saying it. Will it be worse if the truth comes out? It’s up to the person and their unique circumstances.
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