Number six – he wants an independent woman who doesn’t need him.

Whether you are a vice president of a corporation or a stay at home mom – regardless of your situation - your man doesn’t want another dependent. He wants a woman who can take care of herself, and want him at the same time.

This doesn’t mean that he doesn’t want you to ask for his help; but he wants to know that you can take care of things without him holding your hand every step of the way.

And if you think about it, women are very self-sufficient. We know how to tackle home repair, child rearing, cooking, cleaning, running a professional life and making time for the ones we love. We don’t need a man to run our lives. We want him, and that’s what he wants too.

Don’t make the mistake of saying over and over to your man that you don’t need him – that isn’t the point. But show him, and yourself, that you can take care of business. Being your own woman is sexy to him, and it makes him feel special too. He knows that you don’t need a man to be complete, but he sure does like the fact that you chose him to be your partner, when, basically, you could have had anyone you wanted.

Number seven – without trust, there is nothing.

Hiding purchases you wish to keep secret, not telling him whole truths about your past and going behind his back when he says no to your children is not the way you build trust in a relationship. Without trust, suspicion is in the driver’s seat.

Being honest is the only way to breed trust. Sometimes it may be painful, but it is a best practice – always! There are ways to get around spending a little too much at the department store (we have those cute little puppy dog eyes too) or disagreeing on your children’s activities. Making these decisions together and being honest about how you feel can only improve your relationship.

Bottom line, put yourself in his place – if he held something from you, wouldn’t you feel wronged? Combat those feelings by placing trust as a number one priority.