SHOULD SHE OR SHOULDN’T SHE?
A wife ponders the etiquette of watching a favourite show’s premiere before her husband gets home,
My partner and I have an agreement that we never watch an episode of our favourite series without the other person. But he recently started in a rec hockey league, and is scheduled to be out of the house for the premiere of our show. He won’t get home until super late so I can’t wait up for him to watch it.
Is it horribly wrong to watch it without him? I feel really bad about wanting to watch it without him.
I can understand how you’d feel. Watching the show is something you do together, so jumping ahead feels selfish and like you’re betraying that togetherness. But, it’s a TV show, not like you’re taking family photos without him in them. There are a few considerations.
How badly do you want to watch this premiere? More than what watching it together signifies? If you can make peace with that, then how good is your poker face? I mean, you could just happen stumble upon the station at a certain time (strange!) and just happen to forget to mention it to him (crazy day at work, completely forgot!) Or, you make a deal that you get to watch it on the night he’s out, but you’ll either make yourself scarce the next night so he can watch it — alone, or with you, his preference.
However you decide to play it, there is a sacred code here that by which you must abide. Absolutely, unequivocally, no spoilers! No matter how good the premiere is, keep it to yourself. What’s the deal when people ask for your Wi-Fi password at home? Do you give your password to anybody and everybody? I worry about the burn on my data, and about my kids’ friends looking at who-knows-what through my Internet.
Am I being rude, cheap or old school by not giving it out?
What a great question and sign of the times! If that Wi-Fi plan is just right for your family’s needs, then giving the password out willy-nilly can be expensive. Data goes like that when everyone is pulling from it, so no, you’re not being anything other than sensible.
If asked, you could offer to hot spot some data for them, but ask if it is video or something of that sort? Giving someone a hot spot comes with the implication that it’s just a short little boost, not an endless supply of data from which to stream a movie.
Now, for your kids’ friends, that’s a different bag. For your kids’ buddies, you could offer to pull up whatever they want to look at and Airplay it to a shared device, like your TV if you’re hooked up that way. That gives you some insight into what they want to look at. If it is anything too scandalous or incriminating, they won’t dare take you up on your offer.
If you’re on an unlimited plan but still don’t feel great about everyone having open access to it, you could do some sleuthing. Keep a little tracker of when and to whom you share it, then scope out the usage from your data provider (most have online profiles where you can peruse usage). If you’re planning on giving your kids’ friends access and free rein, set parental controls. Etiquette expert Karen Cleveland answers your questions about life online. Send her your questions: karen@mannersaresexy.com