Advice for Couples – Do Not Fight During Meal Time

First of all, this is not an etiquette post. I mean, yes I know that every mealtime should be a celebration or a feast and food should not at all be disrespected because it’s something sacred… but BESIDES THAT…

Couples should not fight during mealtime because:

• Everything, even the smallest issue,  gets blown up when you fight without proper nourishment.

• Tension causes tummy ache and you have to deal with *that feeling* while you’re exchanging words (so you have to deal with physical pain on top of the emotional pain you’re already experiencing).

• You’d look really annoyingly fugly when you munch with tears running down your face (seriously). Worse, you might tense up, bite your spoon and hurt yourself.

The reason I brought this up is because I saw this again first hand while I, Libra Guy and our son were on our way to dinner (in celebration of Father’s Day… we didn’t want to mingle with the crowd on the actual date).

I noticed at once how a couple nearby met for dinner, got into a fight and started bickering quietly. Of course, their body language showed how they couldn’t bear to eat with each other so they left soon without touching the food.

It’s a sad sight, but on the other hand…. What if dinner time is all you have?

I know couples arrange to “meet for dinner” whether or not they’re going to be discussing issues. It’s almost a given… have dinner together and spend the small amount of time you can spare after work discussing things while celebrating the bounty of life nicely prepared inside small serving dishes.

But you know what… I think dinner together when there are ill feelings between the two of you is a BAD idea.

This situation forces you to face someone you don’t want to talk to . You have that nagging feeling that there’s just something so wrong with eating dinner together when you’re not at all comfortable with the vibe between you and your partner.

And, most of all, everything on the table will taste like cardboard because your mind will be too busy thinking of your situation and will be unable to comprehend what ‘delicious expensive food’ means exactly.

So here it is… If you and your significant other are hostile at the moment…

1. Grab a protein bar before your battle or date so you can skip dinner completely. If you’re feeling generous, grab another one for your partner (as a peace offering)

2. Agree to be absolutely pleasant during dinner and for an hour after dinner, before you start discussing things. Think of dinner as your “small talk moment” when you discuss everything but your issues.

With any luck, you will soon be dining together happily and your issues will get settled without trying too hard to fix things. Believe me — there’s nothing that a sweet romantic dinner and a playful footsie under the table won’t cure.