Something Dangerous in Your House…

In almost everyone’s house there is something that is potentially very dangerous. Do you know what it is? Here’s three clues.

• It is dangerous because is can cause your relationship untold damage.
• It is dangerous because it can destroy your marriage.
• It is dangerous because it can cost you many thousands of dollars.

Have you guessed what it is yet?

It is your television. Or in some households, your televisions, as some people have several televisions.

How does it cause such damage?

It causes such damage because when people are tired, after having done all the things that they need to do during the day and evening, the easiest thing to do is to simply plonk down in front of the television. When either one of you or both of you are looking at the television there is something very important that you are NOT doing. You are NOT COMMUNICATING. So what? You might ask. You communicate when one of you returns home. You communicate about things that need to be done. You communicate about bills that need to be paid. You communicate about problems that may arise etc, etc. Well, of course, that is communicating, but it could not really be described as quality communicating.

Every one of us is continually changing. We don’t actually notice that process but it nevertheless still goes on. If we don’t put some effort into communicating with our partners we may be in danger of loosing contact with them and eventually get into the situation that many couples get into when the kids have grown up and left home where the wife looks at the husband and says “Who are you?” and the husband looks at the wife and says “Who are you?” Many couples in this sort of situation end up separating. Even more couples end up separating well before this and you can imagine the costs involved in legal fees and property settlement and the impact on the children.

The solution is fairly simple but difficult to apply because it requires the active cooperation of both partners. You choose either a Friday or Saturday night and you set up your video recorder to record the programs that you are worried you are going to miss. Then you turn off the television. (This also applies to computers).

What happens? Well people start to do what they did before television existed. They discuss things. They make plans. They play games. They read and share ideas about what they’ve read. They make love…

Daniel Chable currently practices at:

Mitcham Private Hospital Consulting Rooms Telephone: (03) 9210 3146

MMC Consulting Suites, Templestowe Telephone: (03) 8850 0456

Boroondara Consulting Suites, Hawthorn Telephone: (03) 9819 9877