{"id":20901,"date":"2023-04-18T09:00:11","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T13:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=20901"},"modified":"2023-04-15T20:39:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-16T00:39:37","slug":"the-fall-out-of-relationship-nagging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2023\/04\/the-fall-out-of-relationship-nagging.html","title":{"rendered":"The Fall Out of Relationship Nagging"},"content":{"rendered":"

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You see it all the time in sitcoms. The \u201cI don\u2019t have a clue\u201d husband whose wife is constantly telling him what to do, or reminding him what he is not doing. While we may laugh at this comedy routine, there is nothing funny about it in real couple relationships. It\u2019s called nagging. And it is a relationship killer.<\/p>\n

Nagging works like this. You make a request. The request is ignored and you make it again. And the more you badger the person to do what you want, the more he or she withdraws. In fact, nagging has been shown to decrease a person\u2019s motivation to get something done. To most people, it feels controlling. Repeated asking just doesn\u2019t work. Or it works at a cost to the relationship. It usually ends in more distance between a couple. Yet many couples are locked into this pattern: nag, withdraw, and nag some more.<\/p>\n

Nagging is part of an overall negative communication pattern. And for some people it feels compulsive. One of the problems with nagging is that you become the parent to your partner. And no one wants to be intimate with their parent! Nagging is irritating and feels like you are being scolded. Also, the nagging person becomes frustrated and anxious, and the person who is being nagged may become angry and resentful.<\/p>\n

Additionally, what Dr. Markman at the University of Denver\u2019s Center for Marital and Family Studies found was that when couples start fighting about the nagging, and not the issues that created it, couples are in danger of divorce.\u00a0So, if you find yourself caught in this pattern of nagging, just STOP! It will eventually lead to lost love.<\/p>\n

How do you make a change?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, listen to the tone of your voice. Check your body language. Don\u2019t begin a conversation with, \u201cYou\u2026\u201d Use, \u201cI\u2026\u201d instead. Then, begin a request with a softened tone. For example, \u201cI have been bothered by the pile up of dishes in the sink. Could you please help me clear this out?\u201d If your partner doesn\u2019t do the task, drop it and wait for a better time to talk about what needs to get done. \u00a0But make sure you say your expectation out loud and don\u2019t assume your partner knows what you are thinking.<\/p>\n

Second, check your language. Make sure blame, criticism, manipulation, demeaning and attack are not the vocabulary of the request. In other words, think about the words you use and if they are building up or tearing down.<\/p>\n

Next, figure out what is behind the nagging:<\/p>\n