When (And How) To Give Your Partner Tough Feedback
You Have A Front Row Seat To Their Patterns. Should You Share What You See?
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The reality is, you have a great view of your partner's stuff (and don't worry, it goes both ways, they're up close and personal with yours). You can see when they repeat an old behavior that they've tried to shed. You spot it instantly when their parent's voice is in their head. You are the first to notice when they fall back into a habit or mindset that you know is not ideal for them.
And the frustrating thing is, despite your ability to identify and name their tendencies and patterns before and perhaps better than they can, they may not want your feedback.
Grr, so frustrating right? Like, shouldn't they want your input? You can help!
You may know that the "right" answer to this conundrum is to zip it. They're on their own journey, let them walk backward for all you care.
But although that can be one answer, it doesn't have to be the only one. And practically speaking, sometimes it can't be the answer! Relationships are relational, what is the actual point of being with someone if there's no room to talk about how you perceive each other?
So let's walk through exactly when you might decide to share feedback with your partner and exactly how you can approach the conversation most effectively so it doesn't blow up in your face.