Am I piecing? Just can't tell...

[MrBond]

SBH,

I think you're doing a great job. You're not avoiding conflict, just learning to deal with it in a different way rather than yelling and arguing.

Validation isn't avoiding an issue. It's telling the other person "hey I see where you're coming from and I respect it". Doesn't mean you agree with it.

Took me awhile to understand that too.