Rules for Resolving Conflicts – # 6 of 14 – Turn off the TV

Express the importance of your relationship by turning off distractions like the TV, the computer, even the phone. It’s difficult to make eye contact when you’re distracted by something else. What your partner has to say is far more important than anything else at the moment. If there is something important going on that’s a distraction, at least take the time to hear what your partner has to say, acknowledge it, and offer to discuss the issue as soon as the game finishes. Arguments tend to get heated when one person feels that they are being diminished, ignored or discarded. We express love when we take the time to look at each other, listen, and in effect, say, “What you have to say is important to me, because YOU are important to me.”