Host, Paulina Dedaa Opoku with her guests
On countless occasions and times have we heard communication is key in relationships.
But is it just about communicating your feelings to your partner or taking into consideration the mood, setting or environment the conversation is taking place?
Communication is the exchange of information between people either by speaking, writing or through other means. Information can be passed at any time but for it to be absorbed and well understood, one has to pass it nicely and at the right time, especially when it comes to conflict management in relationships.
On this episode of Moans and Cuddles with host, Paulina Dedaa Opoku, the guests: Relationship Consultant, Ogochukwu Nweke and HR Practitioner, Francisca Ashong acknowledge that there are misunderstandings in relationships and suggest ways of resolving them through good communication.
The guests believe that one’s unhappy moments in a relationship should be addressed but done the right way.
In a scenario where a husband feels abandoned by his wife because of their kids, to prevent being called petty through aggressive confrontations, the panellists agreed that, the husband could put it into a note, letter or mail to set the tone and mood for further conversations.
Francisca said, “I believe in letter writing even at my age now and I still believe in emails. So, for me, the man could leave a note stating what he feels and assuming the woman is educated, she would read, sit back and reflect.”
But in a case where the woman is not educated, “The man should look for other alternatives to pass the message because sometimes, the way you send a message across could trigger anger. So, if the man goes to his wife with the issue in a hostile manner, he could be called petty,” Francisca added, to which Ogochukwu concurred.
“But if you find the right time, timing is a factor in giving information. The kids go to school, you go to work and she has a phone. You can call her during your lunch break and tell her, her actions are having a toll on you, propose a discussion or hang out without the kids to talk,” She concluded.
In instances where the above solutions don’t help, Ogochukwu recommended confiding in a close relative she is accountable to and respects to talk to her.
“You can speak to her mother, her father or somebody she is accountable to. They will call her, talk to her, make her understand what she is doing and when she gets back home, she reflects and apologises. This can also create the atmosphere for fresh talks,” Ogochukwu opined.