If you read some of the message boards, you might be surprised by how many men complain about "my mean wife".
They are usually asking for advice.
What to do about a pregnant, mean wife? Why does she treat me this way? Those are some of the questions that you'll see.
Sometimes, you need to read between the lines to really see what's going on.
In the popular "My Mean Wife" cartoons, the woman throws out a lot of insulting one-liners.
In the real world, women and men often tease each other, but some of the things that they say can be deeply hurtful.
The typical response from either spouse is usually, "Don't be so sensitive.
" If you feel that you have a mean wife, there may be more you can do than you think.
There are times in any marriage when one partner hurts the other's feelings, accidentally.
But, if she is making rude, insulting comments on a frequent basis, you need to get her to stop.
The first step is to ask her, "Why do you say things like that?" She may look stunned.
Let her know that you are serious.
She may not realize that her comments are hurtful.
That simple question may be the solution to your my mean wife problem.
If you look at what some men write from an unbiased perspective, you realize that she is not really a mean wife.
She's tired.
Working women, with or without children, and mothers-to-be get tired just like everyone else does.
Your goal should be to do more to help on a regular basis.
When you have time, fix dinner for her.
Always take out the trash, without being asked.
Clean up the kitchen.
Do the laundry.
Help the kids with their homework.
In short, be helpful.
If you want her to treat you well, then you must treat her well.
If you do all of these things and there's still a problem, politely suggest counseling.
A happy marriage takes work.
It doesn't just happen.
Couples who have healthy relationships, spend time together.
They are best friends.
The subject of "my mean wife" is an old joke that creates stereotypes.
Stereotypes make people think that a certain way of being is normal.
There is nothing normal about an unhappy marriage-certainly, it is unhealthy-and there is always a solution.
When you get advice from other people, they may tell you that your marriage is over.
That might not be true.
There is no reason to accept bad treatment.
Anyone can learn to communicate more effectively and stop with the criticism.
If she wants to change, she can.
If she first learns how to stop being a mean wife and understands that she must do so to save her marriage, then she will want to change.