Touch Your Wife
Husbands, touch your wife in front of your kids.
The end. Okay, if you want more details, keep reading.
Husbands, touch your wife in front of your kids. Let your kids see you hold her hand. Hug her. Put your arm around her. Kiss her. Put your hand on her leg.
Touch her just because you’re glad she’s next to you. Not because you want something from her. You know what I mean.
Keep it PG. They are kids, after all. Don’t do something that will cause your kids to need counseling one day. Or don’t add one more thing to the list of reasons they’re going to need counseling because of you.
Your kids have a front row seat to your life and your relationship with your wife. You are modeling for them how a person…a man…a dad…a husband should act and react. The question is: What are you modeling for them?
Your kids get to see you communicate with your wife. How do you talk to her? Do you really listen? Do you seek to understand?
They get to see the conflict between the two of you. That’s not a bad thing. They also get to see you resolve that conflict and move forward.
They get a front row seat to your physical relationship too. And if you think your physical relationship (PG touching) should be kept from your kids, you are actually hiding something very valuable from them.
When you touch your wife in front of your kids, what happens?
Yes, they might pretend to be grossed out. They may make throw-up noises or roll their eyes, but they secretly like it. Why?
Kids desperately want to know that their parents love each other. They need to know that their parents like each other.
Touching your wife in positive ways shows your child that you love your wife. Yes, it’s just one way to show love to your wife. There are many ways. But touching your wife in front of your child is a powerful way.
Kids who feel like their parents love each other feel secure. And that security produces confidence. Confidence in…
• themselves.
• their abilities.
• their relationships.
They can face what the world throws at them because they have a strong foundation to return to at home. When they feel good about the most significant people in their life, they feel good about themselves.
You’re also setting their future relationship with their spouse up for success. By demonstrating loving and respectful touching between a husband and wife, it helps them know what is appropriate and inappropriate touching. And they will look for a spouse one day who touches them with love and respect.
So, husbands touch your wives. And do it with no expectation that it will lead to anything. Do it simply because she is close to you and you love her. And your kids are watching.
Oh yeah, men. If you touch your wife in front of your kids, it’s sometimes known to have positive consequences when your kids are not around too. Wink wink


Casey Ross has been married to Julie for over 20 years and is the dad to one daughter and two sons. Casey and his family share some common loves: the Atlanta Falcons / United / Hawks, Mexican food, Hilton Head Island, and just about any kind of competition. Julie and Casey mentor engaged couples, lead married small groups, and lead small groups called Starting Point at their church. If Casey is not at home or work, you can probably find him at Chick fil A enjoying a Frosted Coffee and a Diet Dr Pepper or working out.
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