My husband sent me a text message recently. It read, “237 glubs for you.” I have no idea what a glub is. But I smiled anyway! I sent him a message back: “237 x 4.5 glubs back to you.” We’ve been sending each other silly glub messages ever since.

Bidding for connection

My husband’s glub message was a bid for connection. I could have ignored his message, or been less positive in my response. I confess that often I do ignore or lightly pass over my husband’s connection bids. After all I’m a busy person.

Ignoring a connection bid or responding to a connection bid by changing the subject isn’t always intentional. Given the demands of work, family, exercise goals, commutes, community activities, church involvement and kids games, a positive response to a partner’s glub is understandably overlooked.

What research says about connection bids

Marital researcher John Gottman has found that the masters of marriage don’t ignore bids for connection. Marriage masters frequently turn to their partners with a bid for connection and their partners respond positively to those connection bids.

Another possible response to a bid for connection is a hostile response. Naturally a plethora of hostile responses to connection bids are poison for a relationship.

But the most surprising finding in Dr. Gottman's research is the effect of neutral responses to connection bids. A pattern of consistently bland or neutral responses to connection bids pointed to a marriage disaster in the making.

Send a glub back

So the next time your partner sends a glub your way don’t respond by asking about the laundry. Send a glub back. Better yet, send a glub x 4.5 back.

Now...

For more information or to schedule an appointment you can email or call Couples In Step at 416-459-0956.

Additional articles are available on the Free Stuff page.

---

You are free to use this article on your website or eZine (email newsletter) provided you include the following and let me know where the article will appear: “This article is by Irene Oudyk-Suk, MSW, RSW of Couples In Step. For other free articles visit http://www.CouplesInStep.com"