15 'Boring' Signs A Man Will Make A Great Husband
Is he husband material? These signs say absolutely.
cottonbro studio | Canva Choosing whether or not to spend the rest of your life with a guy is a pretty weighty decision, on par with other scary decisions like whether you should eventually be responsible for the well-being of another human.
How can you ever really know that he's going to be the type of guy you can count on when push comes to shove? The type who will still wine you and dine you after you've been together for five trillion years?
Here are 15 signs a man will make a great husband:
1. He indulges your guilty pleasures
A guy whose husband material comes home from a long day at work bypasses his man cave, ambles on over to you instead, and up-ends his backpack to drop five bags of Cadbury mini eggs onto the table—and he doesn't even like chocolate. Then he says, "Muffin top? What muffin top? I love your curves." Swoon.
2. He brags about you to anyone who will listen
A guy whose husband material talks you up to his friends, family, his dry cleaner, the guy at the deli on the corner, his hairdresser, the old woman who lives next door and is always concerned about whether he's "met a nice girl yet" … even (gulp) his mom. Because he thinks you're talented and amazing and gorgeous, and really, everyone should know.
3. He loves your cats
Or at he least pretends to. Or at the very least he doesn't complain (too much) when, within one week of meeting you, every article of clothing he owns looks like it's growing a beard.
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4. He likes your brand of crazy
A guy whose husband material sticks around, even when you're totally irrational or downright crabby. He recognizes that he can be a pain in the butt, too. Because dude. You get each other.
5. He accompanies you on weekly visits to the nursing home to visit your grandfather
He knows that seeing your grandfather there breaks your heart. And then he engages in enthusiastic conversation with your grandfather, even though he's already heard every story the guy's ever told approximately 5,238 times since you first started seeing each other. That guy is husband material.
6. He fights fair
A guy whose husband material takes a step back and becomes the voice of reason amid your most volatile arguments. Perhaps he even suggests the two of you try that reflexive listening exercise your couple's therapist taught you, even though he didn't want to go to a shrink in the first place. But he did anyway. Arguments can be a healthy part of relationships, and couples who argue are more likely to stay together, research tells us.
7. He always remembers to do that thing you love
You know the thing. The one that curls your toes? Where he takes his BLANKETY-BLANK and then BLANKS your BLANK? Because even though he often forgets that it takes more than a quick squeeze to put you in the mood, he truly does want you to have as much fun as he's having. And he's having a lot of fun.
8. He hams it up in the most hilarious possible way
Your guy is husband material when he makes a fool of himself, and you love it. He has that one dance move he likes to do at weddings, in front of all your relatives, inspired by all those Britpop groups he used to listen to back in high school.
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Your extended family finds this charming. You just roll your eyes and shake your head at him, until he grabs you and spins you around the dance floor and then attempts to dip you — a move that almost causes you... um... top to fall out of your top.
9. He's not jealous
A guy whose husband material inherently understands that you don't suddenly become blind to the attractiveness of others just because you're in a committed relationship. He trusts you. Now there's a concept!
10. He understands that the healthiest couples are not attached at the hip
Rather, the healthiest couples live their own lives, studies tell us, having experiences they can then share the next time they're together. As a result, your relationship does not implode just because he wants to go away on a weekend snowboarding trip with his coworkers, or because you don't always invite him out to the bar with your OMies after yoga class.
11. He tries new things because you're into them
A guy whose husband material attends your first few yoga classes when you suddenly decide that you've found your new life calling. Even though he hates yoga and collapses out of every single pose every five minutes while letting out a huge sigh. And then, when class is over, he's proud of himself for remembering what Warrior II is, and thanks you for teaching it to him.
12. He writes a song about you
Hear me out: A guy whose husband material pens a song about how you're a bit of a loner, but "loner and lover are just a letter apart." And then he performs it at his next gig. And though a part of you feels as if you're living a scene from one of those cheesy, formulaic rom-coms, another part of you notices that your heart seems to be swelling in your chest, until you almost can't even breathe.
13. He's game for anything
A guy whose husband material takes you to hang gliding on your 30th birthday because it's been on your bucket list forever. And he tries it, too, even though he's terrified of heights.
14. He's willing to try anything with you, no matter how odd or terrifying
He goes to a "cuddle party" with you because you need to do a write-up on it, even though he feels creeped out. He takes a hoop dance class with you, even though he suspects you're trying to emasculate him. He dresses up as Santa with you and storms the streets of NYC, where he eventually proposes to you, asking you to be his Mrs. Claus.
15. You just know it
Sometimes, even when you're frustrated with him, you remember just one of these things and are suddenly overcome by a massive, overwhelming wave of love. When he's husband material, you just know it.
Steph Auteri is a freelance writer and editor. She's been featured in Playgirl, Time Out New York, American Curves, New York Press, Nerve, and other publications.