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Try an experiment. Start a conversation on any topic with your spouse or best friend. After you've been talking together for a few minutes, interject with something along the lines of: "Hey, what are you talking about? You're a real idiot!"
Next, hasten to explain to your partner that of ... Views: 1825
My father was diagnosed with cancer in October, 2008. Up to that time he had been very healthy. Normally energetic and active, he fought the cancer with gusto. Still, the cancer won and my father passed away in the early morning hours of on Sunday, March 8th, less than 6 months later. I had ... Views: 1340
Sometimes the only way to get distracting members of the family out of the way while you try to spring clean is to involve them in the process. Not many people enjoy dealing with spring cleaning, but that does not mean that anybody should have to do it alone. Having the whole family involved ... Views: 2741
*Sylvia’s husband had a rule: If you can’t be home right after work, you had to call. When she rushed a co-worker to the hospital, in the confusion, Sylvia called about thirty minutes after she was due home. When she did phone home, he accused her of cheating on her and lying. The moment she ... Views: 4437
Yahoo, it’s spring! It’s a great time to focus on the garden – and relationships. They are the same, aren’t they?
Imagine this…
As the grass began to grow, I knew it was time to connect with nature and get our garden ready for another productive year.
It was fun to work in the garden ... Views: 2792
It is common greeting among people to ask each other how are they when meeting, but when you are pregnant there is a meaning beyond the courtesy question: they really are enquiring to know how you are since so many things can happen during the joyous but possibly delicate state of pregnancy. The ... Views: 2193
I was 36 weeks pregnant and still all going well. My ankles were a bit swollen and I had a couple of small cramps from time to time. The baby was still kicking vigorously and leap around quite often, but all in all I was fine.
The books say that at this stage my hunger would return due to ... Views: 1472
It was a Wednesday morning. It was a glorious Autumn day. The sun was shinning and the sky was blue. It was a bit breezy but that Autumn sun, the kind of sun that warms you without burning you, was inviting me to go out.
I heard very clearly the voice of Spirit prompting me to go to the beach ... Views: 1262
When we embark ourselves in marriage, we embark ourselves in the most meaningful partnership of our lives.
Like all relationships, this partnership requires a continuous and mutual exchange of energy and, because of the nature and depth of emotions involved, communication and choices based on ... Views: 4054
Thirty or 40 years ago parenting in an authoritative manner i.e. "Do it because I said so and I'm the parent" was the cultural norm.
"Children should be seen and not heard" was a mantra that many of our parents used. We weren't asked about what we wanted for dinner, we weren't offered choices, ... Views: 860
How many times have you heard “It’s not fair!” and responded, “Well, life’s not fair, get over it!” Probably more times than you’d like to count!
Or perhaps your child wants to do everything her friend gets to do and says to you “Emily gets to do it, why can’t I?”
When talking with your ... Views: 923
If your child walks in the door with her shoulders drooping and her face forlorn do you say something like “You look sad. Come in and tell me what happened.”
Or if your child is stomping around do you say “You seem upset. Your feelings are important to me. Let’s talk.” Or do you tell your child ... Views: 826
A friend shared a wonderful story recently in a seminar on
"Smart Parenting." She said that ever since her children were
little, she's set aside special one-on-one time with each of her
children. She made a commitment to do this once a week and
put it on the calendar. As her children became ... Views: 863
Why is it so hard for parents to be consistent when disciplining their children?
Many factors come into play. How tired are you?! How persistent is your child? How were you disciplined? What kind of parenting style do you have? Does the other parent agree with you on discipline methods and ... Views: 818
A new survey shows that the average adult tells four lies a day, or 1,460 lies a year. Is it any wonder that our children tell fibs, too?
Yet chances are when your child tells a whopper, it makes
you mad.
Why do kids lie?
Kids lie for lots of reasons. One of the biggest reasons is to avoid ... Views: 1291
Let’s say you ask your child to do a simple task like feed the dog. The next thing you know, you hear “Why do I always have to feed the dog?”
Or maybe you hear sarcasm and a smart-alecky tone of voice while your child says, “You don’t really expect me to do that?”
Makes you long for the days ... Views: 885
Parenting is a continual learning process. As a boomer, your kids may be older, but they are still kids. Parenting requires an understanding of the child’s needs and the skills to meet those needs, and sometimes even additional special attention. Talking to your children could be one of the ... Views: 1020
They learn how to handle moneyParents all struggle with allowances. Should we just give them money? Should we only give them money if they do chores? How much should we give them?
I’ll be answering all these questions and more in my all new “5 Reasons to Give your Kid an Allowance” ... Views: 1131
I was recently gifted with my great-grandfather’s original ordination papers and his preaching license! What makes these two documents so extremely special is they are dated back to 1919 and 1927! My great-grandfather’ name is Henry L. Williams and although I have not done a complete genealogy ... Views: 1449
“Follow your heart.” We hear those words a lot. However, sometimes saying it and actually doing it are worlds apart.
Two years ago my dear husband, Steve Amos, passed away of a sudden heart attack. His death rocked my family’s world and shook us to the core. I can’t tell you how painful ... Views: 1899
School will let out soon, and Spring is here. It’s a time to think creatively … whether that’s planting or how our children will spend their summer vacation.
I met with a client recently to discuss their landscaping. Due to funds, they have decided to do the labor themselves. Their main ... Views: 1114
Parents are the primal unit of a family. However, because of a parent’s lack of emotional maturity, their behaviours can result in the creation of a functional or dysfunctional family unit. Dysfunctional families take many forms.
When individuals hear the term dysfunctional they may ... Views: 13712
What can I do today to be better prepared ?
Whether you are a student in Middle School, High School or College, you need good Time Management skills to succeed.
If you have solid skills and you start at a young age, you will be well served as you become older and enter the work force.
Start ... Views: 2771
The headline from Pinole, California read: “The killer showed no remorse.” A 28- year-old man was sentenced for killing two young teens by mistake because they wore red (the gang color of his enemies). At the hearing, he turned to the sobbing parents and said, “Get over it!”
Criminal gangs in ... Views: 2445
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions and health care costs to address this issue have now reached $14 billion a year.
But ordinary citizens have discovered an unexpected solution to this national problem: walkable neighborhoods.
By forming walking clubs, Americans are not only ... Views: 1061
The Internet discussion reminded me, neighbors must be involved. The blog centered around a seven-year-old boy who broke into four homes, trashed houses and abused neighbor’s pets.
The question was, “What should neighbors do?”
I read 27 responses without one suggestion about helping this ... Views: 958
As business professionals, it’s important that we keep our priorities straight. A term I like to use to describe this is the “Family First Entrepreneur.” These three words came from a brainstorming session I had while on a road trip. I was trying to come up with a “simple idea” that cut to the ... Views: 866
I Can’t Stand It - My Family Treats Me Like An ATM Machine!
How the hot button was created
Sharon helped her sister Ellisa prepare the party for their father's 80th birthday. As the guests left they thanked Ellisa and wished her father many more years of healthy life. Sharon drove home hurt ... Views: 4551
If I were going to write a poem about a loved one that
had passed, I believe I would write these words.
"AND EVEN NOW"
Whenever missing you
gets the best of me
I take out the photo album.
As I turn the pages
the photos remind me
of all the love and memories we shared.
The picture of the ... Views: 2785
Is your family life peppered with upset? Are you falling into the tyrant trap? Look inside to find out how to stop finger-pointing and become a rational loving person.
Successful marriages “Don’t smother each other. No one can grow in the shade.” Leo Buscaglia.
Tyrants smother their spouse ... Views: 982
Can you think of a greater gift for our children than the possibility of allowing them to grow up in a world full of conscious development and potential? You can do this, even if these wonderful options were not available to you as a child. As parents, we can give our children the gift of an ... Views: 838
Relationships are a beautiful thing but they can also be challenging. I love a cartoon that reads as follows: “Relationships: a mess worth making.” It very well illustrates how many times relationships can be messy or unhealthy.
The main cause of unhealthy relationships? Unhealthy boundaries. ... Views: 3278
When talking about relationships and families, dynamics are complex. Why? Because especially the closest we are the more we expect and therefore, the more disappointed we can be. For example, one of the biggest dreams every parent has is that their children get alone. It sounds simple and easy ... Views: 1079
Earth Day is April 22, and while it's important to get involved on this day, there are things we can do as families that will make a huge impact throughout the year.
It starts with helping our kids to celebrate the world in which we live, and it continues with helping them to love it so much ... Views: 901
It's been proven in the past that mothers who are active during pregnancy and in the first period of their child's life tend to have more active kids. We all know that active kids are healthy kids since many diseases and obesity are the direct result of low levels of physical activity. Summer is ... Views: 533
The word Gang causes a great deal of controversy and fear every time it is uttered. There is a great deal of myth and misconception about just what is a gang, how they recruit/operate and the danger they pose to our society, our families and children. Working with gang members for a great number ... Views: 3177
Ask any parent around and you’ll realize you’re not the only paranoid parent there is. In reality, every parent has the fear of losing their kids, or the worry that they’ll go in harm’s way. However, everyone admits that they can’t keep their eyes on their children 24/7 to keep them safe. ... Views: 633
The modern Mother's Day holiday was created by Anna Jarvis as a day for each family to honor its mother, and it's now celebrated on various days in many places around the world. It complements Fathers Day, the celebration honoring fathers.
This holiday is relatively modern, being created at the ... Views: 703
There are thousands of articles about the physical preparation that a healthy pregnancy requires and very few about the psychological aspects of it. I titled this article “How to emotionally prepare for motherhood” because the psychological changes that start before your become pregnant do not ... Views: 4594
Teaching children about death depends of course on what you believe about death yourself. This article is based on my own personal experience with death and how I have handled the subject with my own children. These recommendations are for parents and caregivers who believe in the eternal ... Views: 1091
I grew up in the 70's and 80's when parents still told their kids to go outside and play. My friends and I would spend all day in the yard and when we got hot and sweaty enough we'd run to the back patio, open the water spigot on the side of the house and get down on our hands and knees so we ... Views: 618
A mother's letter to her adult daughter...by Glenda Gibbs
Briefing - I had made an earlier request for help, to which my daughter didn't want to have anything to do with it. After sharing a few thoughts, I scripted the following and sent it. Note: With my daughter's permission and her name ... Views: 50016
Immigrant families to Canada and the United States can face many issues complicating their adjustment to the new host culture.
Often unconsidered is the implications for intra-familial culture clash when children take to the host culture sooner or more wholeheartedly than their parents. Risk ... Views: 4235
Running a happy, successful home can be compared to running a successful business. I do both. These are the key areas that cannot be neglected.
1. Know your mission. Companies have mission statements and it is important to know the mission statement for your family. My husband and I decided ... Views: 6382
Nearly all limiting beliefs such as “I’m not good enough” or “I’ll never succeed” or “I don’t belong” or “I’m unlovable” are created in early childhood by unsuspecting parents who mean well, but just don’t understand how their children’s little minds work.
The effects of such self-defeating ... Views: 6398
Finances and money have for always being the number one cause of relationships failure. Many people say, “he/she was my friend until I lent him/her some money and things were never the same.” It has been proven by the American Psychological Association that during bad economic times, any ... Views: 821
My mother’s unexpected death came as a shock. We had spoken only two days before.
“You’re not coming to see me, are you?” she asked.
“No, I can’t afford to fly to New Jersey.”
“I didn’t think so,” she replied.
Since my move to Hawaii, the conversation was always the same. I was overwhelmed ... Views: 740
With all the buzz about Wall Street, job losses, and the world economy, I thought that when I asked a teenage friend of mine how her father’s business was doing, she would respond with a qualified answer. I was surprised to hear her say, “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t understand that stuff…”. I ... Views: 1008
The media can’t get enough of Nadya Suleman, the “Octomom,” who gave birth to eight babies when she was artificially inseminated with eight embryos. She already has six other children, also as a result of embryonic insemination.
At first, almost everyone was fascinated. Babies, after all, have ... Views: 1340
Easter is a celebration of rebirth both spiritually and physically. It is a spring holiday that welcomes in new growth and flowering. Trees are budding, flowers are slowly blooming, lawns are greening and the days grow longer. The dark and cold of winter give way to a new optimism filled with ... Views: 1389