My father always told me like-it-is too...I never had to wonder.My wife prefers the straight-on approach and tells me exactly when I'm getting into the "Double-HM" zone.
I know she quickly brought one of our sons out of "Double-HM" zone the other night. 
She also uses that direct approach with umpires when her son is pitching sometimes too, perhaps making her HM in their eyes? 
I also like this approach when it comes to parents or kids on my baseball teams. We just have a little talk and things usually improve from there. I usually appreciate someone telling me when I mess up, as long as its not in anger (unless thats what I deserve
)...so I try hard to make sure I'm calm and not angry before giving such feedback. It goes a long way.