[sidebar]Translation: You’ve had an awful day, you were the last mommy to pick up her kids at preschool, and now you’re simultaneously trying to prepare a healthy dinner, spend quality time with the little ones, and unwind by describing your grueling day to the only other adult in the house. He, meanwhile, is busy checking e-mail on the laptop and avoiding eye contact. Don’t take it personally, says Michele Weiner-Davis, PhD, a marriage therapist in Woodstock, IL. Apparently, it’s a hardwired gender trait. Women need to talk through their stress; men need to be left alone. A better plan: Ask him to simply listen for 15 minutes without trying to fix your problems, and acknowledge his need to go off by himself for a while. Extra credit: Try getting some alone time yourself. In the study, women who relaxed alone after work—leaving some housework and child care to their husbands—were happier. More from Prevention: 12 Ways To Fix Your Marriage
