Comments on: Difficult Conversations

By: dawn

dawn — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:21:31 +0000

Your responses are not uncommon. Have you thought about having a conversation with your husband or one of your children about the way they speak to you? You will want to have the conversation at a time when they haven’t spoken sharply to you but at a time when you can genuinely be curious and open to their comments.

By: Dianne Porter

Dianne Porter — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:49:43 +0000

My husband and children all speak to me sharply and without respect. My reaction is to either strike back with words or retreat with hurt feelings. I say to them that it hurts me and to stop but it never does.

By: dawn

dawn — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:29:25 +0000

I haven’t read the book that you mention – thanks for that referral. From your description, it seems that you may have several conversations with your spouse about a variety of subjects. To keep my cool so that I can have a difficult conversation, I will often plan what I will say and come to the conversation with an openness and curiosity to hear what the other person will say.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:53:16 +0000

Hi, Dawn
Intend to have conversation with spouse. My decisions re problem gambling of mine. Decision made after reading a great book Behind the 8 Ball. Also must outline for spouse that he must take immediate action on the amount of “stuff” in our basement, living space, yard and garage. He is the best dawdler ever and will say he is going to take action. But a week later not one thing has changed. Yet he kept busy with a lot of other “work” so I couldn’t really say he had time to anything about the “stuff”. Got the picture. This is age old problem and I won’t take the stalling tactic any more. Suggestions to keep me from losing my temper would be welcome.