10 Signs You May Be Mothering Your Man

Have you ever known someone (or perhaps been guilty of this yourself) who has treated their partner more like a child than a significant other? This of course also applies to men and their leading ladies, but let’s face it; given the inherent nurturing nature of most women it’s often more common to see male-mothering in today’s society.

Below are the top 10 signs you, or someone you know, may be “mothering their man”. It’s great to act as a guiding light for your partner but when you cross the line and step into mom’s shoes, this may not be the healthiest of relationships for you.

1. You set a curfew for him
2. You control how he dresses and give him unsolicited advice on his wardrobe for work, school or “play”
3. You constantly moderate his spending and give him a weekly allowance
4. You engage in excessive baby talk
5. You control his diet to the point of dictating what he eats in and outside of the house
6. You cut his meat for him, regularly hand-feed him or wash his back when he showers
7. You might as well live in a hotel room because you give him daily turn-down service, fluff his pillows and tuck him in at night
8. You tell him how to behave
9. You use his favorite past times to reward or punish him
10. You give him detailed instructions on what aspects he needs to change in his life and then nag him accordingly

If any of this sounds familiar it may be time to step back and ask yourself if it is in fact a relationship you want in life. Healthy relationships are about two mature adults who are ideally equal on most levels. Differences should be appreciated and addressed only when they are affecting the other partner in a harmful way. If you want to change everything about your partner and find yourself laying out a detailed rule book on how he should act than this may not be the right match for you.

Also, what do children often do when they grow up? That’s right – they leave the nest! This is often the case when a woman “grooms” her significant other into the model partner and then is disappointed to find the next woman after her get the man she always wanted.

Another aspect that suffers in this scenario is your sex life. When a man feels like his girlfriend or wife reminds him of his mom, chances are he isn’t going to be rushing to jump in the sack with her. The best way to keep that passion alive is to keep the relationship on all fronts is to keep it on an equal footing.