Lessons in Love: What’s Their Most Annoying Habit?

Sharing the secrets behind three enduring love stories just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Valentine's Day lesson in love series couples and their most annoying habits.

In the lead up to Valentine’s Day, our Lessons in Love series is a celebration of love in all forms, including the imperfections we cherish (or maybe not!) in ourselves and each other. Three couples open up about what makes love last, their love language and spill the beans on their partner’s most annoying habit – spanning all sorts of pesky behaviours from hoarding to wearing thongs, speaking through movies, road rage and feeding the dog at the dinner table.

In spite of these minor gripes, our couples – Dawn and James, Maria and Anthony, and Keiren and Alistair – have chalked up nearly 100 years of relationship experience between them, proving that even annoying habits can’t break us apart.

What’s their most annoying habit?

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Dawn & James
Now here’s an annoying habit a lot of couples will be able to relate to. “If I had to guess my most annoying habit, I would say talking right through a TV show and feeding our dog at the table,” says Dawn. And she’s spot on. James, her husband of 30 years, nods knowingly as she speaks.

“Yeah, it's all true. The dog hassles us endlessly for food because Dawn keeps giving her food,” says James.

“She's my baby. Okay!,” retorts Dawn, showing old habits die hard, even when you’re in love.

James guesses that it’s his argumentativeness that might be a bug bear for Dawn, but he’s on the wrong track.

“The argumentative nature doesn't bother me,” admits Dawn. “What I really find irritating is his impatience when we are in the car – only when we're in the car!”

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Keiren & Alistair
“Alistair finds it difficult to let go of stuff,” reveals Keiren. “He’s a bit of a hoarder.”

“Ha yes! I thought you were going to say my most annoying habit is that I’m a big procrastinator and I tend to overthink things,” replies Alistair. “Wait, is that two things? See I’m overthinking again!”

“I bet you’ll say I can be very impatient and stubborn,” guesses Keiren. But for Alistair, it’s Keiren’s smoking habit that he’d like him to kick.

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Maria & Anthony
Even after 40+ years of being together, Maria is still not OK with Anthony’s choice of footwear. “All the time, Maria tries to tell me ‘don't wear that’, or ‘that looks terrible’. Particularly ‘don't wear your thongs when you come out with me’,” laughs Anthony. “I'm not really a fan of dressing up, I like to be more casual and I go for comfort over style.”

Anthony twinkles his toes in his blue rubber things and Maria giggles with a sense of resignation as she makes her point. “I say he got no class! If you want to come out with me, don't wear your thongs! They are only for the beach or around the house!”

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