As a newlywed, I have spent the last year trying to housetrain my husband.  Men think differently than women do.  You’ve heard this before, but you don’t fully know this until you live with a man.  I’m still in the experimentation phase with my husband, but I want to pass along some of what I have figured out so far to those less experienced wives out there on the brink of desperation.

Your husband will always have your best interests at heart, and he will try to make you happy, but sometimes he will forget the things you asked him to do or he just will not understand the things that annoy you.  This is where training is needed.

You cannot train by nagging, yelling, crying, or withholding sex.  These methods foster more resentment and frustration *for you* than understanding *for him.*

Some people will tell you that using positive reinforcement is the best way to train a man.  I say, eh… doesn’t he have to do something right first in order for this method to work?  I do not have time to sit around and wait for the moment when I can applaud my husband for wiping the crumbs off of the kitchen counter after he makes himself a sandwich.  It is not going to happen.

One husband training technique that does work is posting signs around the house.

For Example:

Cleanliness

If your husband doesn’t understand what to do with his clothes after he wears them, put this sign on the laundry basket:

…And put this sign everywhere else:

Etiquette

Here’s a lifesaver for the living room, especially if you’re entertaining guests:

Organization

Are you tired of finding the TV remote in the refrigerator?  Go ahead and post this sign in the kitchen where he can see it:

Everything Else

You may be thinking, ‘I don’t have enough time to make a bunch of specific signs!”  If your husband is completely clueless, here is a versatile option that will apply to a myriad of situations:

Or, if you get really frustrated, this should *hopefully* get your message across:

Disclaimer: Results may vary.