Taboo topics to avoid

According to psychologist Dr Michael Lillibridge, author of The Love Book For Couples here are the first 5 of 10 things a wife should never say to her husband:

I told you so. "It damages a man's self-esteem to imply that you are smarter. Men don't like to have their intelligence attacked by wives."

You'll never guess what your mother/father told me. "He will resent you being privy to family matters not revealed to him."

You have no feelings. " Men have been conditioned to remain cool and rational, but they have the same feelings as yo have and will be hurt if you say they don't."

Boy, am I an idiot! "It's terribly burdensome for a man constantly to hear about the things you've done wrong. Your urge to confess as a way of seeking sympathy when you've goofed is likely to backfire."

You're no good. "If you';re angry, tackle the issue without resorting to put-downs."

Key to a good marriage

Communications may be the key to a good marriage but there are some things you simply shouldn't say to your mate, if you want to preserve the relationship. And they're not world-shattering things, either. Just little slips of the tongue such as "You 're just like your mother (or father),' or 'You've changed since you were younger...' can do much more harm than you might imagine.

That's the view of a number of psychologists and marriage therapists who drew up a Ten Commandments-style list of things that are best left unsaid if you want to stay happy.

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