We’ve all been there. It’s dinner time, the kids are whining, and your wife hits you with the dreaded question: “What do you feel like eating?”
You think, “This is a trap.” You ask her instead, “What do YOU feel like eating?” She responds, “I don’t know, you pick.” Cue an endless loop of indecision.
So, I came up with a trick—a parenting-hack-meets-relationship-saver. It’s simple, it’s brilliant, and it’s 100% effective. Here’s what I do:
Trick 1: The “Ahh!” Genius Move
This one is foolproof and gives me husband-of-the-year vibes every time.
When my wife can’t decide, I hit her with:
“Ahh!! I know where we can go! Let’s go to that restaurant you’ve been wanting to try for a while now!”
Now you can imagine how her eyes light up as she goes, “Oh, you mean [that specific restaurant]?”
And I just nod like I’m the most thoughtful guy on the planet:
“Yep! That’s the one.”
Try it and suddenly you’ll be the most thoughtful boyfriend or husband in this whole wide world for remembering what she wants to eat.
Trick 2: Narrow it Down to Three Choices
When it comes to the “Where to eat?” debate, the first rule is to give her options she’ll actually like.
You can’t just throw darts at the food map and hope for the best.
I carefully pick three solid places, ones I know are in her “yes” zone.
This means restaurants she’s raved about before or places we’ve gone where she didn’t secretly glare at me over the menu.
And trust me, this part is crucial—don’t mess with the vibe.
For example, if she’s just “meh” about sushi, don’t toss in that sushi spot just because you like it.
No one wins if she feels like you’re half-assing the choices.
This step is all about curating a short list that makes her think, “Hmm, these all sound good!”
Trick 3: The Reverse Psychology
Now, here’s where the real mind games begin.
I intentionally include one option I’m not particularly excited about.
Why?
Because that’s the one she’ll almost always pick.
It’s not just a random guess—it’s a proven phenomenon.
It’s like she can sense I’m lukewarm about it, and suddenly she’s like, “You know what? That actually sounds amazing!”
And I swear, sometimes it feels like she’s doing it just to prove me wrong.
For example:
Me: “But I’m kinda leaning toward burgers…”
Her: “Eh, I’m not really in the mood for that. Let’s do Korean BBQ instead.”
And just like that—BOOM. Decision made.
She thinks it’s her idea, but I’ve nudged the whole process without breaking a sweat.
And the best part? Even if she picks the option I didn’t want, I don’t lose because all three were solid choices (see Trick 2).
Why It Works
The brilliance of these tricks lies in how they make her feel in control of the decision, while you gently guide things along in the background.
It’s relationship diplomacy at its finest.
And it saves both of you from endless back-and-forth while the kids are seconds away from reenacting a scene from Mad Max: Fury Road in the living room.
And the ultimate payoff is you get to enjoy a meal at a place she’s happy with, without spending 45 minutes stuck in the “I don’t know, you pick” loop.
It’s a win-win situation, guys.