So, your spouse is driving you batty. No matter how many times you tell hubby to wash his dishes before bed, he ignores you. Or your wife won't stop humming when she eats. At first, you thought this was cute. Now, you can't stand to sit next to her during a meal. We hear you. Every couple, married or not, has to face pet peeves. Usually, they are nothing serious. But annoyances could keep you and your spouse from spending quality time together, and that can have dire consequences.

Instead of distancing yourself, you can resolve the issue. Here are ways to overcome your pet peeves:

Talk it out.

You've heard this one zillion times, so it might be a pet peeve you have with the Newlyweds site. But it bears repeating because it's true; when you have a problem, big or small, you must communicate. Some pet peeves can be stopped. For instance, you can explain to your spouse why it's important to you to have him wash the dishes before bed and ask him to do it. Ask nicely and offer good reason, such as the crud gets dried up and then it's harder to do the next day, and I am more relaxed when there's some order in the house. Avoid pointing fingers or being judgmental when you talk about it. Offer to do something for him in return, such as removing all the litter from the car when you exit, if that's something he wants. Compromise - a little give, a little take - is the key to resolution in most relationship problems.

Something like humming when you're eating could be a habit from childhood and might be more difficult to simply undo.

There could even be a psychological reason attached to it. For example, viewers discovered in an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond that Raymond's older brother Robert always touched food to his chin before eating to get attention after his baby brother was born, and he simply never stopped. You might be able to gently broach the subject of the humming by pointing it out without judgment and asking your spouse when he or she started doing it and why. They might have a reason, which could help you be more understanding. Recognizing the motivation of their behavior might help them to stop.

Look in the mirror.

Noticing your own flaws - pet peeves you might inflict on your spouse - can make you more sympathetic to others. Don't tell me you're perfect. You're not. No one is. And if you realize that you're the one who is humming while you eat, much to the chagrin of your spouse, then maybe you'll want to wash the dishes to make up for it. This is not to encourage you to beat yourself up. It's simply a matter of being more objective and fair. Yes, your spouse does things to annoy you. But you surely do things to annoy him or her, too. For the rest of your lives, both of you will be able to continue to improve yourselves. In other words, don't just criticize; consider what you can do to become a less annoying person, as well.

Remember your spouse's good qualities.

Sometimes, we get so hung up on our spouses' annoying habits - leaving the toilet seat up, biting her nails, channel surfing - that we forget about the things that made us fall in love with them. Women are often especially guilty of this because we get together with our friends and talk about all the things are husband do to make us nuts. We keep talking and talking. And we get riled up and forget all about the good stuff. So, every once in a while - husbands and wives - take a step back and remember that while your spouse might sleep on your pillowcases with a wet head, he or she also runs a bath for you when you've had a hard day, sets the table for dinner, and gives you a break from the kids every now and then. You love your spouse. Remind yourself of all the reasons why. This will help you keep those grievances about minor stuff, such as the humming or the dirty dishes, in perspective.