Surprise! Staying committed to one woman for the rest of their lives isn’t husbands’ biggest concern. They did freely choose to get married, after all. But that doesn’t mean your man is fear-free about marriage. Issues like putting him second in your life and bashing him with your friends may scare him. “Husbands’ fears are rooted primarily in rejection and self-consciousness,” says licensed marriage therapist Carin Goldstein, creator of BetheSmartWife.com. Read on for eight common fears husbands have about marriage, plus expert advice on how to ease them.
1. He’ll be on the back burner.
With kids, jobs and more vying for your attention, it’s easy for a husband to feel like he’s second best. “As marriages progress, men often feel that all they’re good for is a paycheck,” says Julie Orlov, psychotherapist, speaker and author of The Pathway to Love. To remind your husband that he’s still important to you, Orlov suggests carving out 30 minutes of one-on-one time each day with no talk of kids, in-laws or money.
