chocandpatience said “Of course he would want to hear when something’s bothering you. “
There is a fine line between expressing what’s bothering you and kvetching. Expressing for the sake of expressing is not a man’s way of doing things. It may very well come off as kvetching. If he offers advice, be quiet and listen. Better yet, ask him for advice about dealing with the situation. You don’t have to follow it, but show respect by asking and listening. And take action if you can.
Some women feel that expressing their frustrations for the sake of expressing is a good thing, and consequently can go on for hours. I have a family member that used to call and complain an hour each day (no exaggeration) . At first I felt that it was chessed to listen to her and maybe offer some advice. But I soon realized that it was futile. The same problems over and over again. She did not want any advice; she did NOT make any effort to fix problems; she just wanted to vent (and vent and vent….) I asked my wife’s advice, and she suggested to not answer when I see it’s the kvetcher on the caller ID.