Essential Manners for Couples

图书信息

作者	Post, Peter
出版社	HarperCollins e-books
ISBN	9780061741746
出版时间	2009-10-01
字数	184.7万
分类	HarperCollins e-books,进口书,外文原版书,教育,学习

读书简介

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 pre*ion 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 fairlyWhen 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 burnWhere 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.

目录

Epigraph

Acknowledgments

Contents

Preface

Introduction: That’s When the Lightbulb Went On

Private Life

Public Life

Part One: The two of you Together

1: Tiquette the Pathway to a Better Relationship

So, What Exactly Is Etiquette?

The Three Factors That Affect Every Relationship

The Three Principles of Etiquette

When Manners Are No Guide

Not Thinking Versus Thinking

2: Etiquette Behind Closed Doors

Letting Etiquette Guide the Way

Making It Work—Just the two of you

3: Communication—The Glue that Holds a Relationship Together

The Importance of Saying “I Love You”

Beyond “I Love You”: The Etiquette of Effective Communication

The Art of Listening

Your Tone of Voice Matters, Too

Written Communication

4: The Importance of Nonverbal Communication

The Signals We Send

Communicating Through Touch

5: Thoughtful Gestures make all the Difference

Making Coffee for Your Partner

Massages and Rubbing

Hugs

Flowers

Giving Your Partner Time Off

Going Along for the Ride

Be an Active Listener

The Power of Sharing

6: Milestones and Special days

Celebrating Anniversaries and Birthdays

Valentine’s Day and Mother’s/Father’s Day

“It’s Tuesday”

7: Ladies Snore, Too (Bedroom Etiquette)

Bedroom... or my Bedroom?

Sex and Etiquette

8: Children Change Everything

Relationships and Pregnancy

“There’s No Time for ‘Us’ Now”

Resolving Child Care Inequity

Discipline: The Importance of Being on the Same Page

The Empty Nest Syndrome?

9: Financial Issues

Bank Accounts: Joint or Separate?

Stress and Finances

Making Decisions the Hard Way

10: Divvying up the Chores

Chores Strengthen Your Relationship

Appreciating Each Other’s Contributions

The Importance of Flexibility

Survey Says: It’s All a Matter of Perception!

The Bottom Line

11: Leisure Time

The Importance of Doing Things Together

The Importance of Doing Things Alone

The Importance of Doing Things Together Alone

Your Special Place

Date Night, Part 1

Date Night, Part 2

The Power of Surprises

Negotiating Your Social Schedule

A Night at the Opera

Leisure Time at Home

The Art of Compromise: It Won’t Always Be Fifty-Fifty

12: When Reasonable People Disagree

Pick Your Battles Carefully

Bridges You Don’t Want to Cross

When Mount Anger Erupts

Not Always Fifty-Fifty, Revisited

Don’t Let Peas Turn Into Boulders

How to End It and Move On?

Four Steps to Resolving Disagreements

Part 2: The two of you in the World

13: The Public Couple

The 24/7 Partner

Why Manners Matter, Revisited

Dissing Doesn’t Work

Your Friends, My Friends, Our Friends

Staying in Touch When You’re in a New Relationship

Making New Friends Together

Boys’/Girls’ Night Out

14: Out on the Town

Who’s Going With Us?

Deal-Breakers

Failing to Observe the Niceties

Paying the Check

When It’s Time to Go

15: At a Party

Before You Get There

Avoiding Conversational Blunders

Being Good Partners

Being Good Guests

“Say Good Night, Gracie”

16: Entertaining at home

Planning Your Party

The Devil Is in the Details

Being the Gracious Host

Entertaining Houseguests

17: Extended-Family Dynamics

Smooth Merge, or Crash and Burn?

The Holiday Season

18: Work—the other Significant other

Working Together

Work Life Versus Home Life: A Constant Struggle

When Careers Collide

Office Parties and Other Events

Business Trips

The Home Office

Vacations and Leisure Time

All Work and No Play Makes for a Dull Relationship

19: On the Road

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles (Being Considerate Travelers)

Memo to Selves: Have Fun With Each Other

The Ugly American

Traveling With Other People

20: Special Occasions

Getting Hitched

The Honeymoon

Afterword

Searchable terms

About the Author

Also from The Emily post Institute

Credits

Copyright

About the Publisher