How to Be a Better Husband and Father - 7 Powerful Tips

Being a better husband and father means having to juggle multiple roles at once. As a dad and husband, you must be a supportive partner to your spouse, and you’re also expected to be the best role model to your kids at the same time.

Taking on these roles day-to-day presents challenges. Luckily, we at Dad University have you covered with these seven powerful tips to supercharge your dad-hood and husbandry in no time. Read on to learn the seven top practices for becoming a better father and husband.

1. Take Responsibility for Your Feelings

Nothing can leave you feeling more powerless than making your feelings dependent on your kids or your spouse.

To prevent shifts in your mood and mindset, it’s important for you to take control and responsibility for your feelings — doing this puts you in an empowering headspace to tackle your responsibilities as a father and husband.

By taking responsibility for your feelings, you’ll also handle conflicts and disagreements better — something you need to dial in to be a better husband and father.

2. Show Appreciation to Your Kids and Spouse

At Dad University, we always espouse an attitude of gratitude for fathers since fatherhood is indeed a blessing. While reminding yourself of the blessing of fatherhood enables you to be a better father and husband, your spouse and kids need to know that you’re grateful for them too.

This is where expressing your appreciation comes in. Your expressions of appreciation for your spouse and kids don’t need to be anything big — but they do need to be tangible and unconditional.

For instance, simply telling your wife how much you appreciate her is an excellent way to show you’re thankful for her.

Meanwhile, a morning hug to your kids may not seem like much, but this simple act can send your children the message that you’re thankful for them.

Try it!

3. Don’t Take Things Personally

As a father and husband, you may fall into the trap of thinking “it’s all about you.”

While it’s true that you’re responsible for many things for the family, you’re not responsible for how your kids and spouse feel. For this reason, when your children or wife has an “off-day,” don’t take it personally.

Instead, you as a dad and husband must provide emotional support and be a reassuring presence for the family.

Simply be there when your kids or spouse is upset. Most importantly, tell your wife and kids that you’re there if they’re ready to talk or if they need you in any way.

4. Be Empathetic

This goes hand in hand with the previous tip. Whenever your wife or kids are upset, it’s essential to view things from their perspective. Not only will doing this help you not take things personally, but it will also help you understand what they’re going through instead of viewing their issues dismissively.

Here’s an example of empathy at work:

Imagine that your child comes to you upset that he didn’t get a cookie. You show empathy by saying something along the lines of:

“I see that you’re upset, but you’ve already had a cookie. We can have one again tomorrow.”

Or, if your wife comes home stressed and irritable, don’t accuse her of giving you attitude. Instead, tell her you’re there if she needs anything. You can even offer her a back massage or run her a bath.

5. Provide Affection

We at Dad University always say that affection keeps families together. When you show your kids and spouse affection, it creates a deep connection and promotes a positive environment for the whole family. Most importantly, when displayed in the presence of children, showing affection sets a powerful example.

Showing affection to your spouse doesn’t have to be complicated. However, like expressing your affection, it must be unconditional and frequent. Do you need ideas on how to tell your spouse you love her non-verbally? Try flowers and massages on random days.

As for your kids, being affectionate towards them will look different as they get older. Regardless of whether they’re receptive to it or not, show affection with acts like hugs and quality time anyway.

Your kids will remember it when they’re older and see you as the person who taught them how important affection is to any relationship.

6. Be Present

When you’re at work, work hard. However, as soon as you enter your home’s doors, it’s family time. This means not answering work-related emails or proofreading that last report.

To be a better father and husband, you must treat your time at home with your kids and spouse as sacred. Doing this requires you to give your family your undivided attention.

Surprisingly, being fully present is simple. Some straightforward ways to be present for your wife and kids are to listen to them, spend time with them, and, most importantly, stay away from screens.

You’ll be amazed at how well this is received, especially by your spouse.

7. Show Unconditional Love

To be a better husband and father, you must cultivate your capacity to be understanding and show unconditional love and affection.

Unconditional love is displayed in numerous ways. You can show your unconditional love through unwavering support, respecting boundaries, forgiving mistakes, and celebrating even the smallest wins.

Showing unconditional love is, perhaps, the most important thing you can do as a father and husband as it promotes a sense of security for the family and creates a positive environment where everyone is loved regardless of what they do.

Be a Better Father and a Better Husband With Dad University

The tips we’ve shared above will easily take your dad-hood and husbandry to the next level. Practice what we’ve shared here, and you’ll be a better husband and father sooner than you think.

However, if you need some help on your journey to bettering your dad and husband skills, we have you covered here at Dad University. We offer courses and free resources that’ll help you achieve your full dad potential!

Watch the "How to Be a Better Husband and Father - 7 Powerful Tips" video here: