Teasing

Teasing can be a normal and healthy part of any relationship. No one is perfect, and there’s nothing wrong with making playful jokes, so long as you stay within certain boundaries. You know your spouse so well that it’s easy to forget to be sensitive, but it’s never right or acceptable to make a joke at the expense of your partner’s feelings. If teasing becomes seriously offensive and hurtful, it can create a major dent in your relationship.
Regardless of whether you are the teasing spouse or the one being teased, it is important to consider the reasons why people make fun in the first place. Some people habitually use teasing in everyday interaction. Others use it to attract attention, to sound funny, or conversely, to divert focus from themselves and onto another person. A more serious possibility is that you or your spouse use teasing to communicate repressed hostility without the consequences that often come with being honest. Whatever the reason, it is important to remember that teasing can easily be misinterpreted due to its indeterminate nature.
Don’t tease your spouse about his or her looks or abilities unless he or she clearly agrees that it’s all in good fun. These are extremely touchy subjects and you are almost guaranteed an unnecessary conflict if you don’t keep your spouse’s individual sensitivities in mind. Excessively rude or cruel jokes
have no functional place in a marriage relationship, and serve only to foster resentment and discomfort.
Don’t forget to nurture the serious part of your marriage. Although psychologists agree that teasing and playfulness can be very beneficial to a couple, remember that there is a time and a place.
Balance your playfulness with serious quality time with your mate. Resist the temptation to make jokes in order to take pressure off of intense conversations or situations. If too much energy is expended on jest and play, you or your spouse may find it hard to take your relationship seriously.
Carefully consider your motivations for teasing, or why your spouse may be teasing you. As mentioned earlier, making fun can be a responsibility-free way to express discontent in one’s marriage.
If you feel that you or your partner may be using teasing in this way, it’s time to have a serious talk.
Tell your husband or wife that you are concerned about the excessive teasing, and that you think you may have a problem. If you agree to be open and respectful, you should be able to reach a reasonable resolution.
You and your spouse should work together to discern and set boundaries for teasing. Establish the difference between playful joking and verbal attacks, and respect your husband or wife’s individual preferences. A husband may consider it playful and flirtatious to tease about the shape of his wife’s body, but his mate may be absolutely mortified. Keep in mind that people develop these sensitivities and insecurities because of past experiences and perceptions. It’s simply mean and disrespectful to provoke them.