According to some new research by eHarmony, the stories you choose to tell your partner after a long day at the office -- and the way your partner responds -- can greatly impact your relationship. A study found that sharing good events from the day can make your relationship happier. But sharing bad events -- particularly if your partner isn't a supportive listener -- can make your relationship worse.
Guys, how do you and your partner greet each other after work? What's your favorite way to be greeted after a tough day at the laptop?
Reformed Player says:
Naked and covered in olive oil.
Mystery Man says:
My lady gets greeted with a glass of wine, a kiss and a hot bath. I get greeted with a cup of tea and a hot supper and a kiss if I am lucky if it happens to be a day I am working away from home.
Neither of us talks about work at all until we've unwound for an hour or so and can talk without getting stressed about the day. Then we take turns talking and listening. No TV, no reading, no writing, just listening to each other.
Chic Geek says:
When my lady arrives home, the first thing I do is shower her with kisses. Then, it's a sumptuous meal of goose liver pate served with a side of rare condor eggs. (I'm a man of refined tastes.)
After a vigorous swim in our Olympic-size pool, we retire to the veranda for mint juleps and a little light jazz performed by a 95-year-old blind bluesman whom we met while building houses in New Orleans. There, amid the relaxing splendor of our lavish home, I stare deeply into my beloved's eyes and say, "Honey, how was your day?"
And then Mystery Man comes home and tells me to get out of his house.
Girls' BFF says:
Well since I don't have a partner at this time I just send out a lot of "how are you? how was your day?" texts and wait for the one word replies and go on about my business. But let me say this, maybe THAT's always been my problem. I never share ANY details about my day because when I get home..work is off the table. I don't like talking about work at work so it for doggone sure is getting censored at home. Now, that's not to say that my lady couldn't talk about her day, it's just that I have no intention of doing so in return. So, perhaps that's been the reason my relationships have failed...my boo is talking about her day and I'm talking about black holes and inertia. DAMMIT JIM!!! If I'd only talked about my job I'd still have love.
Funny Guy says:
I agree you shouldn't barrage your partner with a storm of today's hell before they kick their Converse off, but I think the home is a place to vent and process your shiz. If you make a point of shielding your troubles from your buddy it will bite the relationship in its ass one way or another.
But be sure to keep it in check and set a reasonable time to do it. Like, during commercial breaks of The Rachel Maddow Show, or when I'm sleeping.
Gal Pal says:
I think the first step to a good landing at home is not what you say - but what time you get there. Showing up on time (or at least calling apologetically if you're going to be late) is a good preemptive move toward relationship harmony. After that, it's important for both partners to be great listeners. And no matter what kind of horrible, no-good, very bad, rotten day you just had - try to remember your partner is on your side. And there's very little that can be made better with a smile, a joke and a good old-fashioned make-out session.
Wise-Ass says:
At the end of a long day, my wife and I like to jump on eHarmony and laugh at all their silly articles.
Ladies, how do you greet your guy after work? How do you like to be greeted?
Chick Geek - made me laugh so much!!!!
chick geek - very hilariously funny !!!!
I don't mind talking about work at home. Normally the work-stories I tell are of the humourous variety; something to make my partner chuckle. If the events at were were in fact stressful, I put a humourous spin on them. I actually don't "make a point" of doing that; I've always been someone who likes entertaining other people, making them laugh. :)
I like a simple greet and a kiss.
I must admit though I am intrigued by RP's idea...
My boyfriend is at the end of his PhD dissertation, so he feels like he doesn't have a lot to say at the end of the day, as he's working on it since.. more than a year (just the writing part, I mean). So when we see each other, he lets me talk and listen carefully while holding me close and kissing me.
Of course when he has something different that happened during the day (a meet with his professor, for example), I do the same.
we love doing this either while walking back home from the train station, or sharing a beer or a glass of wine at a bar or on the sofa. :)
my beau is working on a ship, when we talk on the phone it's only a little about work and when he finally gets home after three months, talking comes after some much more important matters are taken care of first if you know what i mean ;)
I think MM really is an android. Ok, maybe not. I left a marraige in which, among other things, the 'homecoming greeting' was nonexistant. On both our parts, I will admit. So now I get to reimagine whats possible. Can I put in an order for what MM said? And GP! And RP seems to be on to something too....!