To all husbands/dads,
I get it. You don’t do Facebook or Instagram or whatever other social media account your wife does, like she does. You’re probably wondering why she has to share everything about her life, your life together, your kids, on Facebook.
You’re probably wondering why she tags you on posts (like this one) – from funny things your kids said or did, to profound parenting memes or articles, and even recipes. Perhaps you find it annoying, perhaps you don’t think it’s important, or perhaps you just don’t know how to react, or what to say in return for the tag.
So you ignore it.
But let me tell you something. You wife tags you for a reason. There is always a good reason for everything she does.
When she posts that she witnessed your baby taking her first steps and tags you in it, she’s not just doing this impulsively.
She posts it because she is proud of your baby and she wants to share this mighty achievement with the world. She tags you because she is proud of you as the father of her child, and wants the world to know this too.
So acknowledge it with a simple ‘like’ or ‘love’ or a sweet comment. That’s all she expects for the tag.
When your wife tags you on that post about marriage and relationships, she does it because there are things in her mind that perhaps she cannot tell you for fear of hurting your feelings, or making you angry.
But the article she’s tagged you on sums it all up. Tagging you on it is a sign that she wants you to read it and understand that, hey, this is why she’s not in the mood for sex these days, or this is why she’s doesn’t seem happy.
You don’t have to comment on the post. But tell her later that you read it, that you’d like to talk more about what she’s going through at the moment. That’s all she expects for the tag.
When your wife tags you on a post she’s written about you – it could be on Father’s Day, or it could be your wedding anniversary- you might be scratching your head in confusion wondering why.
Didn’t she wish you in the morning? Didn’t she make breakfast with the kids for you? Isn’t that enough?
No. For her it’s not enough.
Why, then, does she tag you? It’s simple – she’s just so very proud of you and wants the world to know this, because she’s not shy about expressing her feelings.
She adores how hands-on you are with the kids, what a wonderful father you are and for her, expressing her feelings in a heartfelt post is the icing on the cake to the breakfast she and the kids made for you on Father’s Day.
When she tells the world how thankful she is that you are her man on your wedding anniversary, it’s because she feels truly blessed to have you as her husband, as the father of your children, and these words are just one way she expresses the love she has for you.
It would be nice if you commented on the post. Really. But if you can’t, don’t wait for her to ask you if you saw the post and PLEASE don’t ask her to tell you how you should respond to it.
Instead, thank her, kiss her, hug her and show that you appreciate it.
Just don’t ignore that tag.
To all the men reading this (you’ve probably been tagged on it by your wife) – you may think you know the love of your life better than I do. And of course you do in many, many ways.
But she and I share one thing in common – we are women – and chances are that we think similarly about many things that perhaps you might not be aware of. Things like ignoring your wife’s tags on posts irk her more than you will ever know.
So the next time she does (like now), acknowledge her tag and you’ll find yourself being rewarded with a sunny smile, with a sweet kiss and a heartfelt hug and most likely a good time at night.
You’ve just showed her you care and that you appreciate every single little thing she does to show her appreciation that you are in her life – even if it’s just a simple tag.
For her, that’s enough. Because little things always matter.
This article was originally published on theAsianparent Singapore.
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