Cheating wives are more prevalent than ever before. According to WebMD, one in five married women has had a fling.
Why Cheating Wives Stray
The bottom line is usually that they aren't getting something out of their marriage that they expect and desire. That doesn't mean it's all the husband's fault as it can easily come from a breakdown in communication from both parties. Some of the top reasons women cheat:
- Spouse doesn't pay enough attention to the wife, making her feel disrespected, neglected, and unloved
- Putting off having children means more time, more opportunities, and more freedom
- One or both partners work too much to maintain a strong connection
- Desire for more passion; sex within the marriage has become stale
- Fewer repercussions if caught-higher salaries (so less dependence on a partner), and again, no kids to worry about
- More opportunities than ever before thanks to the Internet, hectic work schedules that often include company trips
- Getting married too early and thinking it was a mistake, wondering what else is out there
Preventing Affairs
If you suspect your wife is dissatisfied and may be looking elsewhere for affection, or if you are one of the many cheating wives (or you're just tempted to cheat at this point) and you wish to save your marriage, there are some things you can do. All marriages take work, compromise, and communication, so there are no instant fixes. However, there are ways to improve your union.
- Communicate your frustrations as well as your words of support and appreciation. If you have trouble opening up to one another, consider marital counseling. A therapist may be able to get the words flowing that you never knew how to express before. If you think something may be bothering your wife but you have no idea what it is, don't just sweep it under the rug and wait for it to pass. It may come up again and again in her mind and never get resolved. Ask what's wrong. You may be surprised by how such a simple gesture helps get the lines of communication open again, even if the trouble has nothing to do with you. It shows that you're willing to work on the relationship and that you care about her.
- Don't stop at focusing on communication only when there is a problem or a perceived problem. Talk to your wife about what happened during your day. Share stories to create intimacy within the relationship. Spend time together just doing the things you like to do, even if it's something as mundane as just sharing a cup of coffee in the mornings. These moments of down time are what create a solid foundation in a relationship.
- Make sure that you hold your relationship above all other areas in your life. Make it the most important thing and let her know how much you appreciate her and everything she does for you, whether it's staying home with the kids during the day and cooking a great meal for you at night, working long hours to make ends meet, or just that she anticipates your needs so well. Compliment her. Keep your sex life active. Talk about your future together and come up with shared goals. Work toward those goals as well as offering support for her personal goals. If she feels that you're cheering her on in everything that she does, she's less likely to look elsewhere for a support team and become one of the cheating wives.
- Decide what you both feel comfortable with as far as members of the opposite sex are concerned. Couples Therapy Inc. suggests planning setting firm boundaries. For example, if a business trip results in a night out dancing, should your wife participate? Talk to her about the information she shares with co-workers or friends who could later provide temptation. Suggest the level to which a person who could cause her to stray should ever play the role of confidante.
Final Thoughts
In many cases, cheating wives don't cheat for the sake of cheating. They cheat because they feel that they aren't getting something from their marriage, whether it be passion, support, appreciation, intimacy, sex, or something else. Because there are more opportunities, both parties' schedules are stretched thinner and more jam-packed with events that don't include each other, there are more cheating wives out there than before. Cheating wives are usually a result of a breakdown in communication or lack of the intimacy that provides a strong foundation within a relationship. It is not up to the spouse alone to keep her happy, of course, but both parties need to put forth an effort to keep a marriage affair-free.
