CAN THIS MARRIAGE BE SAVED?
Ladies Home Journal On-Line
“As I said, Lydia doesn’t talk; she lectures or lashes out in this belligerent way, pointing her finger at me as if I were a child. There’s a big chip on her shoulder, like she’s daring me to knock it off. Often, she’ll call me at work, barge into my home office when I’m trying to concentrate on some paperwork, or interrupt me when I’m gardening because she’s ready to talk. Well, maybe I’m not.
She’s also so arrogant. She has a set way of handling every problem, and if I have a different opinion or want to take another approach, I’m automatically wrong. She always thinks that her way of doing something is right. That’s one reason we fight so much about the kids.
For example, when the boys were little and I worked late, I’d want to spend some time with them once I finally got home. But she had a fit if bedtime was delayed fifteen minutes. Even now, if the kids leave their room a mess or don’t help with chores, she'll also get upset. I don’t think any of these is a crime, so I don’t make a big deal out of it. Besides, I don’t see the children all that much, so I don’t feel like spending the evenings yelling at them.”
DR. EVELYN MOSCHETTA:
In many ways, Richard sounds like a divorced father who sees his kids only on weekends. He wants to make sure that the short amount of time he has with them—time that’s growing shorter as his sons hit adolescence—is pleasant. The trouble is, like many men, he doesn’t know how to be loving and still set limits with his kids.
Richard's Turn: Part One
Richard's Turn: Part Two
Richard's Turn: Part Three
