Education without aggravation???

[Jeremiah10:23]

I know this not truly about guns but it ties into home security so I hope you will forgive me.

Yesterday, while I was at work, I got a phone call from my wife telling me someone had knocked on our door. She said “It was an old cripple man trying to sell magazines.” So she opened the door to talk to him. She had several weapons she could have grabbed but did not.

She was concerned enough about it to call me and ask me to warn my co-worker who lives on the next block so he could warn his wife, so she apparently felt disturbed by it.

My question to you guys is, how do I get her to understand that just because he “looked cripple” it doesn’t necessarily mean he is? How can I educate her without ticking her off?

 

[hso]

She was concerned enough about it to call me and ask me to warn my co-worker who lives on the next block so he could warn his wife, so she apparently felt disturbed by it.

That's the key. Why was she concerned enough to call you? What was it after reflection that she thinks she should have done instead? What would she have told your co-worker's wife if she'd have been able to call her herself? What does she think you may do as a family to make that situation safer? What will she do next time someone harmless looking shows up at the door?

 

[Texan Scott]

you listen to hso. he's hinting at the answer. he's not hitting you over the head with the answer; he's asking questions to get you to say what you think, and when you do, you'll realize you already knew the answer. he's not TELLING you how to approach your wife; he's DEMONSTRATING the approach to take with your wife.
i, on the other hand, am the counter-example. i am beating you over the head with my answer. your wife won't like being beaten over the head with your answer any more than you like being beaten over the head with mine.
Especially since you ALREADY KNOW THAT. ask your wife what made her uncomfortable in retrospect. let HER tell YOU what she should have done differently. she'll learn more and remember better because it was her idea, and not occluded by her pique at being talked down to by you.

be like hso. don't be like me.

 

[hso]

You have to play to your audience so my approach isn't always the best, TS, but I usually find if you get people to teach themselves they learn the lessons better.

 

[Jeremiah10:23]

Thanks guys, I knew the "look, you should've" speech probably wasn't the best approach. I just needed a fresh perspective.