Thursday, March 22, 2007

Killing Them With Kindness ...

I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. Instead of bitching and nagging my husband about things I wish he'd do, things he hasn't done, etc. I have been sweet as sugar lately. It wasn't easy in the beginning. The little things that were bugging me were trying to hard to bubble to the surface ... but I bit my tongue.

The end result - my husband is now doing the things I was nagging him to do. I'm getting more of what I want by not telling him what I want. Believe me, I've nagged enough he knows the things that bug me ... the things I need him to take care of. So I'm not even saying them anymore and he's finally doing them.

We've talked about it, and he said he was so tired and annoyed with me constantly telling him what he was doing wrong, it made him not want to do a thing. Now that I'm the new "easygoing wife" - he's been awesome (for the most part).

I have no idea if this would work with all men. Some of them might just be relieved the nagging stopped and keep ignoring the piles of laundry and garbage. But it's working for mine - and I'll take it! I'm hoping this isn't a "honeymoon" phase and is the real deal. I'm also hoping I can continue to bite my tongue. My problem is, I want things done when I think they should be done. When it's not on my timeline, I get irritated. I'm working hard not to be such a control freak.

1 comment:

Emily Ann said...

haha, I couldn't have written it better myself. If I didn't know better I would think you are a mind-reader. My mother always nags me that I nag him too much! When Steven and I were first dating she would say,"If you complain too much, he's going to leave you." Once I replied, "Well after 20-something years, Daddy hasn't left you." Needless to say, she didn't make that statement again.