Marriage Tip 16. Be specific

Communication in marriage is made considerably easier when husband and wife are specific about things.

When you're being critical of your spouse, don't broaden your complaint.

For example if you are annoyed at him for not doing the dishes, tell him just that, "I am disappointed that you haven't cleaned up."

Don't say, "you're so lazy" or "you never do anything around the house."

Similarly, when you are complimenting one another, a specific compliment such as, "that shirt really shows off your blue eyes" is much more effective than "you always look nice."