Dear Whys Guy: “How Do I Make Thanksgiving with My Family Easier for My Husband?”

By Aaron Traister, REDBOOK

DEAR WHYS GUY:

My husband doesn't get along very well with my siblings' spouses. We're spending Thanksgiving with my family. How can I make the weekend as painless as possible for him?

DEAR REDBOOK READER:

Karel calls the solution to this problem the "Prince Baby Aaron Solution." When she puts me in a situation I don't like and she knows I'm going to quietly complain, be frustrated, and generally act like an obnoxious baby the entire time, she treats me exactly like a parent desperate to placate a spoiled baby and gives me extra special stuff to shut me up.

The minute I open my mouth and start to kvetch she shoves a metaphorical lollipop in there before I can throw a full fledged tantrum. That metaphorical lollipop can be anything from getting out of childcare, to uninterrupted football watching, to horrible amounts of junk food, to new books, and sex!

Related: What Your Man Really Thinks in Bed

I've actually grown to love situations where I know things are going to suck and it's Karel's "fault", because it means I'm going to get treated like spoiled Prince Baby Aaron.

Is it sorta infantile of me? Sure. Is it mildly embarrassing to admit here? Totally. Should I just suck it up for the woman I love and make more of an effort? Of course. But have you ever eaten fried chicken for dinner, lunch, AND breakfast while watching an entire day's worth of uninterrupted college football without ever having to change a diaper and still had the opportunity to cap it off with sex? Awesome.

So to answer your question: Preemptively pull out all the stops and spoil your husband like he's a toddler on an airplane.

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