My wife and I have adopted a new favorite phrase we use to defuse potential crank-fests with each other.
A few days ago she and I were discussing something or other, and I sensed that she was slightly irritated with my questions and/or my general lack of perception of whatever event/situation was currently at topic.
Knowing that I was not going to gain ground by trying to talk with her in our respective states, I turned to my favorite method for keeping the connection: humor.
“Stop yelling at me!” I said, out of nowhere, in utter hyperbole. I knew that she would know it was completely out of context.
She laughed, and took the bait:
“You started it!”
And since then, we have yet another way to keep harmony and laughter in the house, and avoid those little bickering moments that pop up in times of stress.
Pure genius! We say that too, but usually when we are mocking our Eldest.
Ah, yes. Child mocking. We have a playbook for that.
You know…I kinda do this with our oldest daughter and it works all the time. I’ll have to try this with the wife – there’s never enough laughter in marriage.