How Being a Modern Man Can Make You a Better Husband and Father

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The character of the grumpy father has been a staple of television for decades but today the ideas of what makes a “real man” are changing. One of the biggest areas of improvement owing to these changes is the way families have grown closer. This doesn’t mean that you have to give up everything that makes you who you are, but there are simple changes you can make which help you to be a better father to your children and husband to your spouse which are no longer looked at as unusual or embarrassing.

Open the Books

While family finances were once considered the husband’s domain, as more and more families have equal financial loads or women as the primary breadwinner that is no longer the case. In order to have a healthy relationship it’s important that you and your spouse are honest about finances. When both partners have a better understanding of how money is coming in and where it’s being spent it’s the foundation for a happier life.

Find Shared Interests

There’s nothing wrong with having your own hobbies that you do alone or with friends, but it’s important to find balance in your life. Finding activities that your spouse and children enjoy participating in as well makes it easy to create positive memories and build stronger bonds.

Tune Out to Tune In

Streaming services and mobile devices have led to a steady increase in the amount of screen time in our lives. Making a concentrated effort to dial back your digital consumption and instead spending more time interacting with your family is a simple way to help your family grow closer.

Build a Network

Male bonding remains an important part of every guy’s life, but there’s more to it than there used to be. With men finding it more appropriate and comfortable to open up to friends, a world of opportunity for learning from each other has opened up. Talk with your friends about things they do for their families to find ideas to help you be a better father and partner.

Show and Tell

Actions speak louder than words, but that doesn’t mean you should only use your actions to show your family that you care about them. While loving gestures are important, sometimes you need to tell them that you love them and how much you care about them. This lets your family know you love them and makes their days brighter.

Don’t Be an Island

Although seeking mental health help has been stigmatized for everyone, this has particularly been the case for men. In recent years as awareness of mental health has grown it has become increasingly accepted for anyone in need to seek out professional help. Speaking with a therapist can help you to find the cause of struggles in your life and help you to devise treatment plans in order to get past them or manage them. Family and couples therapy can also be used to fix problems which are causing stresses on your family relationships.

Find a Sensible Ride

There are few bonds stronger than that of a man and his ride, but as your family grows that sometimes means you have to put your favorite vehicle behind you. Whether you’ve got a two-seater sports car or a motorcycle, if you can’t pack the whole family up and hit the road it may be time to upgrade to a more family-friendly vehicle.

You don’t need to completely uproot your familiar way of living in order to improve your relationships with your family. When you start implementing these changes you may be surprised at just how far the little things can go.

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