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Four degrees on a thermostat. A green dress. A “just a cake” anniversary. Tiny choices can carry a lot of meaning, and when they collide with stress, money, or mixed expectations, they snowball into fights that feel bigger than the moment. We dig into wedding rules that shift midstream, the blurry lines of “make yourself at home,” a parent’s birthday trip sacrificed to soothe a child’s tears, and a store-bought cake that lands like indifference instead of love.

Hosted by Michelle Massunken, MSW, RSW and Tina Wilston, RP, CRPO Supervisor.

We walk through practical ways to set expectations without sounding rigid, including how to write a guest-friendly dress code that honours budgets and avoids last-minute rule changes. For house guests, we offer a reset script you can use today: state what works, what doesn’t, and what changes from now on—without shaming anyone. With parent guilt, we map a plan that protects attachment and adult needs by separating the celebration into two rituals so both connection and rest get their moment. And for the thermostat standoff, we propose layered compromises, baseline temps, personal warming tools, time blocks, and a real middle number, so comfort doesn’t become a power struggle.

The heart of the episode is repair. When a partner says “it’s just cake,” they miss the message: I want to feel chosen, seen, and remembered. We model how to swap defensiveness for curiosity, turn apologies into action, and build traditions that actually fit your life. Listen for concrete language, calm boundaries, and small changes that lower drama while raising trust.

Send your scenarios or questions to [email protected] and tell us which story sounded like your life.