Maggie says

Every Christmas of our married life we have had exactly the same row every year.

This is how it begins. The week before Christmas I bring down all the presents I have bought for family and friends and start wrapping them at the table in the living room.

The tree is glittering with baubles. I put on a CD of Christmas carols and I ask my husband if he’d like to help me wrap the prezzies?

Within minutes he is muttering “Why have you bought so much? Why are there so many toys/ books/games/clothes/toiletries/ DVD’S? Is one thing not enough? How much did all this cost?”

I calmly explain that it’s for our own children, our parents, his brothers and sisters, the little gift for our paper boy, the teachers at our kids’ school.

“You’ve overdone it as usual” he mutters.

I explain that I gather things up slowly over a few months and I look for bargains.

But he won’t accept that. “It’s still way too much” he mutters angrily.

Then I find myself getting really annoyed. “Well I don’t expect you to do it Mr Scrooge” I say huffily.

And yes before you know it we’re well away into the familiar, traditional Christmas row and rant.

Is there anything I can do to stop it?

Believe me if I knew the answer to that I’d tell

Dear Maggie

I’ve been volunteering at our local hospital as a visitor for some people who don’t have any family or friends who can pop in to see them when they are ill. I really enjoy it.

I’ve met so many interesting people and I always leave feeling they appreciate having someone to talk to.

The problem is I want to go in to visit some of them on Christmas day and my husband isn’t too happy about that. He thinks our day should be for our

Dear Maggie