However, in a viral Instagram post, Charisse Sims makes an essential point about these awkward situations: It will be uncomfortable whether you tell them to change the subject or if you have to sit through the conversation.<\/a> So it\u2019s better to take the option that\u2019s less hurtful to you. Sims is a mother of six<\/u><\/a> and the host of the Parenting for the Culture podcast. She is also an awarded Educator by PBS and PBS Kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She shared the advice while talking to her 9-year-old daughter, who she could tell felt very awkward about a recent conversation. \u201cImmediately, when she started having that conversation, I could see on your face that you felt uncomfortable,\u201d Sims told her daughter in an Instagram Reel. \u201cWhen you have that feeling, your response to them should be, \u2018I feel uncomfortable in this conversation. Let\u2019s talk about something else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sims then asked her daughter to repeat the phrase a few times to burn it into her brain for when she needed it. Her daughter then admitted that telling someone to change the conversation would be difficult. Most people probably agree that telling people you\u2019d like to change the subject is uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Sims makes a great point. You will be uncomfortable both ways, so choose the one that best suits you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhich one is a longer discomfort, taking 10 seconds to say, \u2018I feel uncomfortable in this conversation. Can we talk about something else?\u201d Sims asked. \u201cOr, sitting in a 20- to 30-minute conversation that you feel uncomfortable in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is uncomfortable telling people stop. It is uncomfortable being like, \u2018I don\u2019t really like what you\u2019re doing,\u2019 because you\u2019re worried you\u2019re going to hurt their feelings, and you want them to like you,\u201d Sims continued. \u201cBut it\u2019s also uncomfortable to sit there and be uncomfortable for a long time. So choose your discomfort, and choose the one that\u2019s going to help you, not hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Candace Smith, antiquette expert, says it\u2019s also helpful if you have another topic on deck that the person may be interested in to make the transition smoother for both parties. \u201cWhen you think it\u2019s time to let the other person know you will change the subject, be positive, and smile. Keep your eye contact warm and direct,\u201d she says<\/a>, before giving an example: \u201cI\u2019m going to change our subject here. Let\u2019s talk about something cool like the Marvel movie!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sims\u2019 advice is important because it\u2019s something that all of us, adults included, could use next time they are forced into an uncomfortable situation. Her advice is a great tool for making sound decisions when we feel awkward and unable to think on our feet. \u201cI wish when I was growing up, I was taught more how to navigate tricky situations rather than just being told to stay out of them,\u201d Sims wrote in her post. \u201cAs simple as that is, It\u2019s not always that easy. Our children need more support and actual practice navigating these awkward situations.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You don\u2019t need to let someone make you uncomfortable. Few things are more uncomfortable than sitting like a deer in the headlights while someone pushes you into<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/683723092_1443885061105814_7703012979432412409_n.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8021"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8023,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8021\/revisions\/8023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How do you leave uncomfortable conversations?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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