I've had this since I was a kid. My stepdad is a loud chewer, and when I was younger the chewing was a big source of the resentment I harbored against him (not

I've had this since I was a kid. My stepdad is a loud chewer, and when I was younger the chewing was a big source of the resentment I harbored against him (not the only source, but a major one). Now we have a better relationship, to the point where I felt comfortable discussing my discomfort with his chewing. But rather than frame it as "Can you please chew more quietly", I told him I'd prefer to wear earbuds when we eat dinner together. I also told him about misophonia, which I had learned about in the intervening years since childhood. He was a little confused, but didn't feel like I was criticizing him. Now when we eat together, we eat without conversation since I'm listening to music during the meal. It can be a bit weird when there are others present, but when it's just the two of us it's fine. It's made mealtime together tolerable, whereas in the past each meal was an excruciating ordeal.