Is it better to BROOD OR BARNEY?

The way you deal with conflict says a lot about your relationship. We investigate…

- CHRISTABEL SMITH

Beware couples who boast about 'never having a cross word' - because even the happiest relationships come under pressure from time to time. The key to a healthy marriage is a good row, according to a study, with evidence suggesting that couples who argue together stay together. New research shows that TV habits are one of the biggest causes of arguments, while others include leaving lights on, leaving wet towels lying around, and not loading the dishwasher correctly. We all have our tender spots and ways of reacting. Do you believe in the power of a barney, or think avoiding conflict is best? Two women talk about how they manage their marital meltdown moments - and what they've learnt along the way.

‘WE WERE SILENT SEETHERS’

Lois Goodman, 43, lives in Stanmore, London.

When I first met my husband Daniel, we were amazed by how much we had in common. Our parents knew each other before we were born, and we'd even been to the same school, though he was two years older and, somehow, our paths never crossed. He was 23, a business development manager, while I was 21 and worked in admin. We're both Jewish and felt comfortably in sync, wanting our future family to have a similar upbringing to ours.