3 tips and tricks for encouraging your husband to get started on that honey-do list

If you’re anything like me, you spend a fair amount of time trying to convince your husband to help out with your “projects”! Besides the usual motivational tricks, you know, guilt, rewards, the-sad-puppy-dog-eyes, there are a few others that I’ve discovered works pretty well each ‘home improvement’ season:

1. When you make a request, be sure to ask very politely and use the word “quick”...

   For example, “Honey, can you do me a quick favor”, or “There is something that I need you to do really quickly...”, and so on.
   Now, this really works well if the job is relatively short, so if you’re doing a large project, ideally, you should split it up into small tasks. You may think that if it’s a small task, you don’t need the word “quick”, or that the “quickness” is implied, but you would be wrong, they need to actually hear the word “quick” to be motivated. Try it!

2. Start a project, but don’t finish it

   I think you can use this trick twice at most, because they do catch on… and the unfinished project has to be something that you know will annoy him. For example, if you’re redoing your flooring, remove part of the old flooring and then just stop, if he’s anything like my hubby, he’ll briefly complain about you starting a project without him and then he’ll go on to finish it himself… and without even, uh, being asked or anything…

3. Threaten to do a task that, both you and he know, you cannot do by yourself

   For example, “Hey, do you think we could remodel the closet today?”, “Today?? You need to do that today?”, “Umm, well, I have been asking for the past 5 months! Never mind, I’ll just do it myself!”
   

What are your ‘tips and tricks’?

Thoughts from sf

I have *discovered* that (after 10yrs of marriage)that if I *threaten* nothing will be done. I do use some of your tricks too though
the-sad-puppy-dog-eyes. I tell him in a very nice,calm, quiet voice(like HE is the ONLY one who can help me)do that chore and then it gets done. I have learnt his mood patterns so I get to *sneak* in some chores when the mood is *sunny*. :D

Thoughts from wasaski

I am not married yet, but these sound like great tips lol. Just came to blog today, but I am your community at bloglog, and I also have you linked at my blog. I really like the layout of your sites very nice Question how were you able to get the facebook box up there? I am considering putting my facebook info on my blog.

Thoughts from ajay

This is cute. We can always use our charm on men. Do check my bloggers’ tips:)