I need to think these things through myself. With the best will in the world, my H is stressed and anxious and short on sleep and doesn't have much in the way of domestic comfort at the moment. And he isn't a particularly skilled communicator. I'm naturally better (my work is in this area) and I've been in psychotherapy for two years, which of course has had its effect. He's also sensitive to the thought of being disrespected or laughed at, which means humour when used badly can backfire. He probably is going to be difficult and impatient and snappy with me for a while yet to come - and that isn't the same as verbal abuse - and I am trying to think through for myself what an assertive response from me would look like.
