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Are you a ‘gentle partner’ or a ‘Fafo partner’? I know which team I’m on

Yes, we should all cut our loved ones some slack. But asking me to listen attentively to my husband’s football chat – and mirror it back to him – is definitely a step too far

Are you a ‘gentle partner’ or a ‘Fafo partner’? I know which team I’m on

TL;DR

  • The author discusses the challenges of supporting a consistently disappointing football team, using her husband's devotion to Arsenal FC as an example.
  • She introduces the concept of 'gentle partnering,' which emphasizes active listening and accepting a partner's flaws.
  • The author proposes an alternative 'Fafo partnering' (fuck around and find out) approach, which allows partners to face the consequences of their actions.
  • She reflects on past relationships and suggests that the best approach to partnership involves flexibility and adapting to specific situations, potentially combining elements of both gentle and Fafo partnering.