I had hoped that meant he would stay in bed and I could fly under the radar but he was very anxious to get up and tell me all about how horrible his night had been and then argue with me over whether I would watch his son that afternoon or if he would send him to Grandma's (he accused me of not helping him make a decision by not having an opinion). As a result we almost missed the bus.
I can see you are making progress towards better interactions. Keep moving forward on this.
Also... keep going to the big picture.
If you get over there and he can get out of bed, then perhaps he can take care of his son. Give him a choice.
Your purpose in going over is not to relieve his anxiety... it's to take care of the kid. You can assure him that you will be back later to listen to his anxieties.
Keep up the good work.
When they "tell you" that you have nothing to say. Be succinct.
"I'm ready to talk. Let me know when you are ready to listen." Disengage.
If... .if... .he actually listens... keep going. But if all he is doing is "listening" to argue. Disengage.
FF