You know those social media posts people do when they’re focusing on gratitude? Well, it got our friend Madison thinking: What if she posted every day for a month about the person she was most thankful for—her awesome husband, Kyle? “After all,” she said later, “I gush all the time about my love for our daughter, Bethany, to anyone who will listen. But I’m just as crazy about her daddy! I decided I wanted to celebrate him this time around.”
So she started a 30-day campaign of showering him with praise and telling the world via Facebook all the reasons she still found him, well… hot. She hashtagged all the posts #hothusband. His friends began to pay attention and tease him about all the reasons Madison still feels some sizzle when he walks in the room. According to Madison, he loved every minute of it—teasing and all!
The hardest part, she admits, was coming up with 30 posts that were appropriate for her entire social media audience which ranges wildly in age and disposition. To keep it PG, she switched somewhere along the way to #thankfulwife to offer more sentimental reasons for her gratitude for Kyle. But, all in all, she says the experiment was a great success. She had a reason to dwell on all the things her husband gets right, he got to enjoy her accolades in the presence of an audience, and it inspired other wives to try their own lists!
The days leading up to Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to try your own #hothusband or #thankfulwife challenge. We’ve got some 5 tips to help you get started!
1. Praise his looks.
Be specific: There are probably several days of posts in this category alone! Whether it’s the macho man vibe he gives off when he grows a beard or the smooth way he looks when he’s all cleaned up for a night on the town, tell the world what flips your switch.
2. Tell the worldhow hot a great daddy can be!
I think we all can agree that nothing reduces us to putty in our husbands’ hands more quickly than watching them care for our babies. Watching a big, strong man gently and lovingly bathe an infant or get on his hands and knees to crawl into a blanket fort for a very fancy tea party makes you want to love him forever. No sense in keeping this phenomenon a secret.
3. Share your gratitude for his work ethic.
Even in two income households, husbands carry a great deal of responsibility for planning and providing for their families. If your man is the sole breadwinner, this is especially true! Give a shout out for all those days he heads out the door and burns the midnight oil to put food on the table and a roof over your heads. Read more about this and other areas of potential praise in 7 Ways to Adore Your Husband.
4. Talk about how he’s fun.
Remember when you started dating him and you would try to describe him to friends who hadn’t met him yet? You’d talk about how he made you laugh or he was so interesting to talk to because he was a deep thinker. How he was the best running buddy you’d ever had or how you absolutely couldn’t beat him in Scrabble because he’s so stinking smart. Your husband is still that funny, smart, interesting guy you used to date—why not say it?
5. Thank him for being dependable in a world where that’s not a given.
Some husbands feel as if they labor away every day in their efforts to do the right thing, and that no one ever notices “the right thing.” Husband behavior only becomes news when it’s the wrong Tell him you notice, and you’re grateful for the faithfulness, the honesty, and the integrity he delivers day after day. Those things are enormous gifts that you rarely notice until they disappear.
So there you have it! Five different categories to help you produce a month worth of posts to celebrate your hot husband! For even more inspiration, check out these 10 Compliments for Your Husband.
What would be your first #hothusband post if you took the challenge?
Dana Hall McCain writes about marriage, parenting, faith and wellness. She is a mom of two, and has been married to a wonderful guy for over 18 years.
