People Are Sharing The SIMPLEST Things They’ve Had To Explain To Their Husbands, And I Simultaneously Laughed And Sighed

Weaponized incompetence is a VERY real problem in relationships. Whether a partner wasn’t taught life skills when they were growing up or simply didn’t care to learn later in life, it can be disheartening to feel as though one has to “parent” their significant other, but this is, unfortunately, a reality for many people…

That’s why when TikToker @amyjo.kennedy asked, “I’m bored, tell me something you had to teach your husband that he should have already known…” people flooded the comments with the SIMPLEST things they had to teach their husbands. From properly bathing to childcare — here are 23 of their most surprising responses:

If you’ve ever had to teach your spouse a basic life skill, tell us about it using this anonymous form!

1.“I taught my husband that simply letting the water rinse the soap off his body wasn’t cleaning his feet.”

“He had never actually ‘washed’ his feet. He’d let the soapy water run over them and call it a day.”

—majesticmanateeee

2.“My husband originally thought our newborn was going to drink three bottles a day — breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

—alexisrosemarx

3.“When we first got together, my husband didn’t understand how tampons worked, or where they went.”

“He was in med school at the time.”

–momofdragonsrn

4.“My husband used to think he was going to get in trouble if he didn’t answer his parents’ phone calls and had to call them back later. We’re in our THIRTIES and have a toddler.”

—breannemc

5.“That the numbers on your pants are not equal to your age. For example, when he turned 34, he thought he needed 34×34 jeans.”

—saraluverne

6.“That a hysterectomy is not a required procedure for people with uteruses to start menopause.”

—juliebugggg7

7.“My husband was 40 years old when he wrote his first check. We were in the middle of moving and he was in another state at the time, so I had to draw a mockup of a check and send him a picture so he knew what to do.”

—carvey2024

8.“Not a husband, but I had to teach my boyfriend that when you live in a major city with high crime rates, you need to lock the door when you come home.”

—_abigailee_

9.“That fabric softener is not the same as detergent. He had ‘washed’ his clothes for two years without using detergent.”

—dawn_dishsoap2

10.“I had to teach mine how to properly wipe his butt so he would quit leaving skid marks on his underwear.”

—dawnrenee707

11.“I taught mine not to pour raw chicken juice over freshly baked chicken as a ‘sauce’ before eating it.”

—thatkirsten

12.“That babies aren’t born with teeth. He was distraught when our first kid came out with only gums.”

—kaylee_plans_travel

13.“That certain foods need to be refrigerated, even if they were bought unrefrigerated from the grocery store. My man once put an open jar of bone broth in the pantry.”

—homewithriri

14.“Folding clothes is included in ‘doing laundry.’ We are still working on this one, but we are going to get there someday.”

—abendixen13

15.“That I’m going to have a period every month!”

—a.keddi

16.“That he, in his twenties, no longer needed to buy shoes with room to grow. He always complained about his shoes being uncomfortable.”

“When we went shopping for his wedding shoes, I discovered that at the ripe old age of 23, he still thought he needed them to be a full size too big.”

—dearestreaderdarling

17.“That cleaning out the lint trap in the dryer does not mean you’re taking the dryer apart.”

“He thought I was some type of engineer because I could empty the lint trap.”

—hannahsideoffriesplz

18.“That he needed to wash his hands even when he didn’t sit down in the bathroom.”

—adayinoneplace

19.“My husband thought I was jumping the gun when I wanted to add a car seat to our baby registry. He asked, ‘What age do kids need a car seat?'”

“I told him they needed one as soon as they left the hospital, and he looked at me and said, ‘You can’t just put them on your lap in the car?'”

—jaleekletz

20.“I had to teach mine that it wasn’t normal for his mother to go through his mail, file his taxes, and check his bank account for him when he was 31 years old.”

—mb.andrews

21.“I taught mine to actually rinse the dishes after meals, so you couldn’t see any stuck-on food before placing it in the dishwasher.”

“Letting it ‘soak’ is not a thing, just get the sh*t off the dish.”

—nicole_k14

22.“Cleaning top to bottom is not ‘my way’ of cleaning, it is just how you properly clean things in order.”

—nicolelemon

23.“That if I don’t make dinner, he can go into the kitchen and cook for himself. I don’t always feel like eating, then at 10 p.m., he’ll look at me and ask, ‘What’s for dinner?'”

“A. Why didn’t he ask me at 6 o’clock?

B. It’s whatever he feels like cooking for himself!”

—rylogbave2s

Did any of these stories surprise you? Have you ever had to teach your spouse any basic life skills? Tell us in the comments or answer anonymously using the form below!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.