E-Book Overview
From the man who closed the lid forever on the "toilet seat debate" in the New York Times bestseller Essential Manners for Men comes the follow-up book that paves the way for couples everywhere to fix relationship problems before they start. Peter Post offers the secrets to a long and happy marriage or partnership—without psychoanalysis or prescription medication. The good news: often just a few simple words or actions can mend a rift. Essential Manners for Couples reveals how easy it can be to keep the spark in your relationship. With self-deprecating humor, clarity, and wit, Peter recounts couples' most mischievous manners foibles (his own included). Essential Manners for Couples is based on Emily Post Institute surveys, Peter's years of fielding thousands of etiquette questions, popular demand from couples attending his national lectures and workshops, and his experience as a husband and father. Peter looks at couples' private lives and public lives, revealing the common "flashpoints"—the places, situations, and times when inconsiderate behavior is most likely to invade your blissful coupledom. He offers "etiquette imperatives"—simple truths and concise nuggets of advice not to be ignored, including: Permissive flirting: How to define parameters and enjoy verbal combat with the opposite sex. The "Chore I.Q." test—are you really divvying up the workload fairly? When you hate her friends: socializing with the enemy. Enter children: Good parents still spend time together as a couple. Bedroom etiquette—getting beyond the headache excuse. Interactions with in-laws—smooth merge or crash and burn? Where to go for the holidays: surviving family visits and how to say "no." Balancing life with your other significant other—your work ... and much more. Essential Manners for Couples is a must-have resource for the couple who wants to celebrate their union and strengthen it. As Peter Post says, "By using the principles of etiquette, couples can avoid many of the potholes on the road of their shared life, and the ones they do hit are smaller and more manageable." With this book in hand, you'll enhance your relationship, head off hostilities, and have fun doing it.
E-Book Content
ESSENTIAL MANNERS for COUPLES FROM SNORING AND SEX TO F I N A N C E S A N D F I G H T I N G FA I R — W H AT W O R K S , W H AT D O E S N ’ T, A N D W H Y Peter Post Some people may wonder, isn’t it a little weird including a special thank-you page to the same person in two books? I don’t think so. Frankly, when I wrote Essential Manners for Men, I had no idea there would be another book, much less one on couples. The fact is, these are two areas where my wife has tremendous influence on me: as a man and as a partner. If you read Essential Manners for Men, there seems to be no question I needed some help on that subject. And as for this book, well, I couldn’t possibly write about couples without constantly being influenced by what has gone on between my wife and me for 32 years. My wife is really a coauthor of this book. Without her, without the experiences we have shared together, without the ups and downs we have traveled together, I couldn’t have written it. Throughout this book, she is known as “my wife.” So here again, I take great pleasure in thanking my wife, Tricia. iv Acknowledgments whether at work or with friends or meeting new people, I’ve repeatedly been surprised by the willingness of people to talk about what it’s like to be a part of a couple. They shared with me their triumphs and their faux pas, and explained what made their relationships work and what caused trouble. To all of you, my thanks for your insights and your open honesty. In addition, I want to thank a number of people whose stories are sprinkled throughout the book: Michelle Lambert, Dana Apgar, Nicole and Michael Atherton, Leigh and Peter Phillip