With the festive season fast approaching, a leading relationship expert has revealed his crucial strategy for preventing the inevitable family fallouts that Christmas can bring. Paul C Brunson, famed for his straight-talking advice on shows like Celebs Go Dating and Married at First Sight UK, has offered his top tips for Daily Mail readers facing the stressful holiday period.
The Golden Rule: Pre-emptive Boundary Setting
Brunson states there is no perfect method to completely avoid clashing with your partner over Christmas, acknowledging that added stress and visiting in-laws often "throw a wrench into the game." However, he insists that one of the most important preventative steps is to establish clear boundaries about acceptable topics of conversation before gatherings begin.
"A big issue that a lot of families have is around politics, and there's a lot of conflict around who's voted for who or who believes what," Brunson explained. His simple solution? "Just walk into that family dinner and say, you know what, tonight we're not going to talk about politics!"
He notes that other common pressure points include questions about marriage plans or having children. The advice remains the same: address it head-on by announcing in advance, "just so everyone knows this weekend we're not talking about this."
Couples Must Be a United Front
Brunson emphasises that boundary setting is vital not just with extended family, but between partners themselves. He suggests couples communicate before events to agree on their "rules" for the evening.
This could involve planning to check in with each other at timed intervals or deciding in advance whether and how to intervene if a conflict with another guest arises. Presenting a united front is key to navigating potentially tricky social situations.
The Expert's Method: Why He Waits to Intervene
Despite dispensing advice watched by millions, Paul C Brunson revealed he doesn't feel undue pressure, describing his role as more of a "mentorship, big brother, uncle type stuff." A significant part of his confidence comes from his meticulous approach.
"What a lot of people don't realise that I do on Celebs Go Dating, or I do on Married At First Sight as well, is I wait until I see a pattern before I call something out," he shared.
His personal rule is to observe a behaviour at least two or three times before addressing it. This pattern might develop off-camera or be missed in the edit, but once he identifies a consistent issue—such as disrespect—he will confront it. "That's a pattern, so I'm going to call it out at that point," he stated.
By combining proactive boundary setting with careful, pattern-based observation, Brunson's advice offers a practical blueprint for surviving the festive season with relationships intact.
