Family Articles

Helping children bond is an important part as family harmony. When children can bond, they are more likely to help each other out. Children who bond together as siblings will have better relationships as adults because they have learned how to work with others. But helping your children bond can sometimes be challenging. The first things to know is that is will never be clean cut and the same for every child.

When helping your children bond it is usually necessary to let them work out a few things on their own. This may be hard as you can see what the right and fair thing would be for all involved. But do remember that your children need to make their own mistakes in life and learn from them. When your children can work together to work out a difference they can gain a mutual respect for each other and this creates a bond.

"Helping your children bond" »

Posted by K at 06:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Have you been getting along with your siblings' friends? Most people who will say it's hard to get along with at least one sibling's friends. But getting along with your siblings' friends will give you a better relationship with your siblings. It will also make life easier when the siblings' friends are over.

If you are trying to get along with your siblings' friends try these four suggestions.
1. Give them some space.
2. Try to be helpful with their activities.
3. Get to know the friend.
4. Don't take over.

Give your sibling and their friend some space. When siblings have friends over, especially for siblings still in the same house, don't try to get into what they are doing. Siblings have friends over because they need a change from everyday siblings. Maybe there is something they especially like to de with their friends that their siblings don't like to do. If you and your siblings are not in the same house the same rules applies. Give them some space and let your sibling know when you are coming over to be courteous.

"Getting along with siblings' friends" »

Posted by K at 07:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Family, the friends that we don't get to choose. Sometimes we are nicer to our friends than we are to our family. However it is so very important to forgive and forget with family. There will always be contentions between family members and there will always be the need to just forgive and forget. With family there is going to be the occasional time you will have to be in the same room, and if you are not on good terms with a certain family member then there will be contention for more family members than you think.

So when it is you that needs to forgive and forget begin by trying to put yourself in the other person's shoes. Even though family is family, they do not tell everything to everybody. So to better understand the family member, go talk to the one who has offended or done something wrong to you. See what they are going through and you might be able to better understand why it is they were rude or offensive. Talk with the family and then forgive and forget.

"Forgive and forget with family" »

Posted by K at 07:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A unique phenomenon has surfaced on the social landscape during the last few decades, where previously adoptee never even knew the names of their birth parents today many adoptee have relationships with both of their birth parents. This has given rise to a whole new family dynamic. Where some adoptee actively search out and find their birth parents and some birth parents are looking for the child they placed for adoption other adoptions have an "open feature" where the child grows up knowing his birth parents and has a relationship with them in addition to his adopted parents. Whatever is the basis of the adoptee/birthparent relationship it can be one of great joy or tremendous headache. Whether you are an adoptee considering searching for birthparents or a birth parent who is considering looking for the child you placed for adoption read on for the pros and cons of relationships with birthparents if you are adopted.

"The pros and cons of relationships with birth parents if you are adopted" »

Posted by K at 06:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

All relationships require work and commitment. This is never truer than when considering the relationship between a step parent and child. With over 50% of marriages failing in the United States the blended family has become a modern day reality. The "blending" of a new family can be difficult and time consuming but when approached with patience and tolerance can yield wonderful rewards for all involved. The good news is whether you are a child, teen or even an adult looking to form a relationship with a step parent it can be done successfully! Here are some tips on how to form a relationship with a step parent.

 Remember it takes time to form a lasting relationship. Even if things have gone smoothly during the courtship and wedding of any two people this is no guarantee that an immediate bond will be formed between the step parent and step child. It is important that all parties involved understand that a deep and lasting relationship will take time and involve shared experiences and memories.

"How to form a relationship with a step parent" »

Posted by K at 07:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If your family is like many families, you are all more like a bunch of people living in the same house rather than friends. If you wish that your children would grow closer together and become good friends, one way to create bonds between your children is to create family traditions. Traditions become something that your children can share and create an identity that your children identify with and connect to. Traditions help your children grow closer together.

Types of traditions
There are three types of traditions within families. Here's what those three types of traditions are:

1. Celebration traditions. Celebration traditions are traditions that are things done at special occasions. These types of occasions are special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays, that call for a celebration.

"How to help your children grow closer together" »

Posted by K at 07:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Many parents despair of ever creating close bonds with their children. So much time is spent just doing everyday things that it seems that parents and children never get to know each other. Think about how you and your family spend your day. How much time do you spend in the car driving your kids to their various activities? How much time, after school, do your kids spend involved in activities such as sports, art classes, dance classes, and more, with people other than family members? How many times in the past week have you all sat down together for dinner as a family? How much time have you spent together as a family-other than in the car, running from destination to destination?

It's getting easier and easier for families and family members to become more and more distant. Parents have to spend a lot of time at work just to make ends meet in today's suffering economy. Kids are involved in more and more extracurricular activities, and spend less and less time with their families. Hardly any families spend time together eating dinner as a whole family any more. Add in the stress experienced by parents and kids and they strive to succeed at both work and at school, and you have a family that is really not a whole lot more than a bunch of strangers who happen to live in the same house, instead of a family that is made up of friends.

While this particular picture does make the situation sound awfully bleak, you don't have to despair and give up hope. It is possible to build, to strengthen, and to maintain bonds of friendship within your family. However, in order to build bonds of friendship within your family, you are going to have to be willing to give to your family that most precious of commodities today: your time.

"How to create close bonds with your children" »

Posted by K at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We all know that no family is perfect. Most families-if not all families-are far from it. It can be difficult to bridge gaps and to mend broken friendships within your family, especially since there are probably long-held and deep-seated hurts in your family. However, you can bridge those gaps in your family. While there are many gaps in families and many problems, one of the biggest issues is parents and children-no matter how old the children are-getting along. As an adult childer, or as a teenager, there are a number of things that you can do to mend the broken relationship that you may have with your parents.

No matter how old you are, it can be difficult and seemingly impossible to deal with conflict with a parent. No matter who you are and who your parent is, it is going to be basically impossible for you to avoid ever having a conflict with your parent at any time in your life. But by understanding why you are experiencing conflict, and learning how to respect the other person and to set boundaries and communicate effectively, you can positively and effectively deal with conflicts with a parent.

Some conflict is inherent in your relationship with your parent, particularly when you are a teen. However, it is also difficult to navigate relationships with your parents when you are an adult, as your roles in the parent-child relationship begin to shift and change and you have to renegotiate different responsibilities and the way that you relate to each other. But there are tools that you can use to manage constructively your conflicts with your parents, no matter how old you are.

"How to bridge gaps and mend broken friendships in families" »

Posted by K at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The mother-daughter relationship is probably the most powerful and influential relationship in a woman's life. This is true whether the mother is present or absent, loving or abusive, birth mother, stepmother or adoptive mother. Mothers matter more than almost anyone in a woman's life. Whether your relationship is in trouble or you would just like to strengthen it, working together is the key to a mother-daughter relationship.

What can mothers do to ensure a healthy relationship with their daughter?

Understand and respect your daughters' personality.
A lot of mother-daughter problems stem because differences between mother and daughter end up as full arguments and conflicts. If you are outgoing and an extravert with lots of energy and your daughter is shy, and a creative introvert, there's going to be trouble if you can't accept your daughters' different ways of handling things. If you can't be accepting of your daughter, then you will never have the relationship you want.

"The key to a mother-daughter relationship" »

Posted by K at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Getting along with an ex-spouse for the kids' sake is important in raising a happy and healthy family. Children do not need to be exposed to anger and hurtful words their whole life. Getting along and being civil to one another can give children a completely different childhood experience. Isn't it worth sacrificing a little pride for the happiness of your children?

Resolve your differences
Getting along with an ex-spouse for the kids' sake may be one of the hardest things you do, but it won't go without reward. If you are divorced and have kids, set your differences aside for the sake of the child. Children are very sensitive, no matter the age. Don't emotionally hurt your child by using them as an object to fight over. You hurt more than just your ex-spouse, you hurt your child also. Try really hard not to say anything negative about your ex around your children. Both people have to come to terms on the situation. If one person is willing and the other isn't, you will never be able to resolve your conflicts. Consider getting a go-between if you can't talk without yelling. Agree to disagree and then move on. Nothing good comes out of trying to prove one or the other is "right." Your ex is their other parent and they deserve to love them for who they are. Don't take that away from them.

"Getting along with an ex-spouse for the kids' sake" »

Posted by K at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Building strong family relationships is very important in this day in age. With a world full of broken families, and abused spouses and children, establishing a daily routine with your family will help bring your family closer together. Family routine gives children and parents stability, time to look forward to and a stronger bond one with another. Building family relationships by establishing daily routines is one way to make your home a happier one.

The positive aspects of a daily routine:
Using routines at home can reinforce learning, improve communication between family members, and reduce tension. There should be a sense of wanting to provide a positive atmosphere for your family. Most activities that the world offers is not centered on families. Seeking material things and buying the newest toys is not always the best way to build family relationships. Creating an environment of fun and love will ensure our children are happy and proud to bring their friends home because home will be warm, friendly and a happy place to be.

"Building family relationships by establishing daily routines" »

Posted by K at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tips for better communication in your family. These easy tips will give you an idea on how to build more communication in your family.

Tip one:

Spend more time with your family, because spending more time with your family will build better communication.

"Tips for better communication in your family" »

Posted by K at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you are a parent with more than one child, then you know what it is like to have sibling rivalry in your house. Most of the sibling rivalry problems begin after the birth of the first child and then continues throughout childhood. As parents this sibling rivalry can be frustrating and stressful. So how can we not let it get in the way of your relationships with each of your children? Here are some suggestions on how to deal with sibling rivalry.

Understanding the causes behind sibling rivalry can help you build a better relationship with your children. A couple of causes of sibling rivalry are:
 Some children compete with siblings to figure out who they are. They are trying to figure out what talents and interests they have and in doing so they feel the need to be better than the other. They are just trying to figure out who they are. As a parent, you can build a relationship with your child by helping them find what they are good at and be supportive of it. Let all children know that you love that they are good at their own things.
 Attention is always an issue with siblings, whether they are toddlers or teenagers. This can also place a lot of strain on parents as it becomes difficult to share your time equally with more than one child. As a parent you will never be able to be in more than one place at a time, but it will place less strain on your relationships if each child gets just a little bit of your time so they feel that they are getting something. Also remember that developmental stages greatly influence how your children view and react to the amount of time you can spend with them.

"Sibling rivalry, how to not let it get in the way of your relationship" »

Posted by K at 07:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Do you get along with your siblings? Or do you spend most of your days arguing about just about anything and everything that comes up in conversation? If the latter is you don't feel along. There are many older siblings out there that have a hard time getting along with younger siblings. With that being said, there should be at least some effort to do so. Learning to get along with younger siblings can be tough, but I think if you figure out how to do it now, your relationship will be much better as adults. Here are some helpful hints to helping you get along with your younger sibling.

1. Communicate. As hard as that may be in the moment as you are yelling at each other, understanding how to communicate with them is a key factor to the success of having any sort of relationship with them. Everyone communicates differently, so you need to try and find their communication style. Sit down with them and try having a normal conversation. Instead of back lashing at them for yelling at you, ask what the problem is? Try getting to the root.
2. Spend time together. As you and your younger sibling aren't getting along that great, they are probably the last person on earth you want to spend "one on one" time with right? You may find that by spending some one-on-one time with them the fighting will decrease. They're outbursts and unusually behavior might be stemming form the fact that they're not spending enough time with you. As crazy as that may sound just give it a try.

"Learning to get along with younger siblings" »

Posted by K at 07:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How to improve your relationship with your sister
If your relationship with your sister is struggling, you should make improving it a priority.

Sisters have the potential to share a beautiful relationship with one another that can last a lifetime. If your relationship with your sister is struggling, you should make improving it a priority. If you let this relationship deteriorate, you will certainly regret it. Regardless of the type of relationship that you and your sister had when you were growing up - close friendship or an intense rivalry - your relationship with each other as adults has the potential to be wonderful. The two of you grew up together; you know things about each other that no one else could ever know - do not allow the opportunity to share a bond with your sister slip away, because you'll never find another relationship to replicate it. In order to improve your relationship with your sister, you have to build a new foundation on which your sisterhood can grow.
Why is your relationship with your sister struggling to begin with? Maybe the two of you had an unpleasant dichotomy as children - you were a popular cheerleader she was an acne-ridden band geek, or vice versa. If one of you was jealous of the other throughout your adolescence, the resentment may have seeped into your adult lives. The bottom line is, you're all grown up now, and it's time to let go of high school animosity. If you were the underdog, you have to forgive your sister for being popular. What would you have done if you had been in her shoes? Would you have downplayed your good looks and your social graces so that you would be on a level playing field with your unpopular sister? Probably not. She was probably trying to stay in the "in" crowd just as hard as you were trying to gain acceptance. If you were the popular one and your sister was the "loser," you should try to be compassionate to how difficult it was for her. She probably lived her life being envious and jealous of you for your good fortune with making friends. She wanted to enjoy the same acceptance that you did, but instead she was met with perpetual rejection. It is very hard to be in outsider as an adolescent, and when someone is an outsider and they have a sibling who is very popular, they often feel doubly ashamed and embarrassed of their lacking social skills. If you made fun of your sister or you teased her for being unpopular, you have to apologize to her for causing her more pain than she already had to endure. Even if you never made fun of your sister for being unpopular in comparison to yourself, you should still try to understand the pain she felt. Maybe the two of you were great friends while you were growing up, and you grew apart after high school graduation. Your lives went in two very different directions, and your relationship suffered as a result. Sometimes absence does not make the heart grow fonder. Sometimes absence makes people forget about the bond that they shared. Just because the two of you are leading very different lives and you are two very different women doesn't mean that you can still be close. Even if you're separated by a great distance, you can still make an effort to stay in touch with each other so that your relationship remains intact. Call each other every week - or more if something exciting happens in one of your lives. If the two of you were the same, things wouldn't be as interesting. It can be hard to let go of the tight relationship that you shared as children and adolescents, but you have to open your mind to exploring and unleashing the potential of your adult sisterhood. If the telephone is too expensive to keep up on a weekly basis, then your computer can be very helpful for keeping in touch - e-mail each other or talk on instant messenger. If the two of you haven't been in contact for an extended period of time, then a handwritten letter can help to break the ice.

"How to strengthen a sister-sister relationship" »

Posted by K at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While the thought of being able to forgive and forget might be an extremely nice one, is much harder to do than just say. When family members hurt and betray feelings, it can be a hard road to forgiveness, and especially forgetting that it actually happened. Because we are human, we will always have our memories to constantly remind of us situations. So how do we forgive and forget in family situations. Let's talk about some things you can try to get past the pain and hurt.

Think about what happened
It sounds childish, but if you have been offended by someone in the family go ahead and give yourself a time out. You need some time to yourself to reflect on things that were said, your feelings, and how you are going to deal with everything. Who knows, once you think about the entire situation from another perspective the problem may solve itself and you may realize that it's not as big of a deal as you were making it.

"How to forgive and forget in a family" »

Posted by K at 07:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Grandparents are great right? They're the ones you go to when mom and dad say no. They are the ones that are supposed to give all the extra hugs and kisses. And they are the ones who are always supposed to be happy and pleasant. Well, for some it might be so, but for others learning how to deal with an ornery grandparent is part of everyday life. There are a few things to consider and look at when understanding an ornery grandparent. Let's take a look at a few things.

The dictionary defines ornery as a few different things:
1. ugly and unpleasant in disposition or temper
2. stubborn
3. mean-spirited, disagreeable, and contrary in disposition; cantankerous
Ornery grandparents can exhibit many, if not all of these qualities and can make you want to sometimes (shall we say) disown them for a time. It is difficult when you are caring for a grandparent to willfully take care of their needs when they are unpleasant, disagreeable, and "cantankerous."

"How to deal with an ornery grandparent" »

Posted by K at 07:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Time with family should be one of the highest things on your list of priorities. There should be time at least once a day where the family is all together doing something, even if it is just eating dinner.

Never underestimate the power working hard as a family, it has so many benefits. Another important part of family is having fun together. Here are some of the benefits of working hard and having fun together.

"Bonding with your family over hard work, and lots of fun" »

Posted by DF at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you marry into a family, you do not just get a husband or wife, you also get all of their past, present, and future. Part of marrying someone means getting all that goes with them. This means you get in-laws, this means you get their customs, this means you get their traditions.

The problem with all of the extra stuff is that your in-laws customs and traditions can be hard to adapt to. So, let's take a look at three tips for adapting to your in-law's customs and traditions:

"Tips for adapting to your in-laws customs and traditions" »

Posted by DF at 07:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you are in a family, whether big or small, it is easy to feel like you do not matter. Obviously as a family you want everyone to feel apart, however there are going to be times when life gets crazy, and because everyone else in the family has stuff going on, or requires attention, you get overlooked a little. No one likes this feeling, so while there is little you can do to ensure it does not happen to you, there is plenty you can do to make sure it does not happen to anyone else. Feeling under appreciated is a significant problem in families. Why? We get so comfortable with everyone, and their role in our life that we forget to notice how important they are.

So, stop doing this today. Making your family members feel special individually is something that you can do, no matter who you are, or where you fall in the family. So, what do you do to make everyone feel special?

"Making your family members feel special" »

Posted by DF at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Offenses are easily taken and are never easy to get over. The worst offenses to get over are those we take with a family member. Often times we feel so comfortable around our family that we say things we should not, and all too often we cross the line between funny and hurtful. It is when this happens that an offense can occur. The reason these offenses are so hard to overcome is that we trust our families to not use things like our insecurities against us, and when they do it cuts deep.

So, when you get a deep cut by a family member, what can you do to move past it?

"How to move past an offense with a family member" »

Posted by DF at 07:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sometimes you feel like you and your husband just don't have anything in common and you never spend time doing anything together anymore. When you were dating you spent every free second together, but now there are so many other things going on that you don't see much of each other.

When you are feeling like your spare time is always spent apart from your husband, maybe it is time to do something about it. Your husband spends time working on his hobbies or enjoying what he finds leisurely. If you could find the same things interesting as your husband, you would find more time to be together.

"How to take more interest in what your husband is interested in" »

Posted by DF at 07:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After a divorce it is hard when you decide to get remarried, when there are kids in the picture. Being a parent is hard, but being a step-parent can seem overwhelming. Sometimes it is hard to overcome obstacles when you are first married, but the kids can be one you can overcome.

Being the step-parent is never part of the fairy tale dreams you had when you were young. When you were dating you met your partner's kids, and you just loved them. They may have given you the same reaction back, or they may have made it clear that they hate you. Either way, now that you are a permanent part of their lives, you need to start showing them sincere love.

"How to show step-kids sincere love" »

Posted by DF at 07:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wow, they turn thirteen and something in their brain snaps. They are suddenly impossible to deal with, reason with, or be around. What is it about teenagers that make them so moody?

The reason behind it is something we may never understand, but we can find ways of keeping the peace as much as possible. Since every kid is different there are things that will work well with some that will only make it worse with others. Sorry, but there is no magic solution for all moody teenagers.

"Getting along with a moody teenager" »

Posted by DF at 07:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of our jobs as parents is to make sure that we raise our children to be all that they can be. What we are supposed to do as parents is to make sure that we give our children the tools to become productive members of society and in turn add to the world rather than take from it. But the truth of the matter is that sometimes no matter how hard we try to do what is right we end up doing something that can completely undermine everything we have already accomplished with our children.

Many times as a parent you have probably gotten flustered with your child or even mad enough at them to yell at them. But just because you feel that way does not mean that you are a bad parent, it is what you do at those moments that are considered important. One thing that you really want to stay away from no matter how mad or frustrated you might get is to let unkind words out of your mouth to your children. There are many reasons that you should watch what you say to your children, not to mention you should watch how you say it.

"Why you should never let unkind words out of your mouth to your children" »

Posted by DF at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are many different reasons why children have a low view of themselves or why they feel that they are not a good person. And sometimes as a parent we are helpless to stop our children from feeling that way, but just because you can't stop your child from feeling bad about themselves doesn't mean there isn't anything you can do about it. In fact the worst thing that any parent can do in that type of a situation is to sit back and do nothing. The good news is that regardless o how our children feel or if they are even listening to what you have to say there are some things that you can do to help your children like themselves better. And best of all it usually just involves talking to your child and not giving up on them.

Difficulty rating: Moderate to difficult

"How to help your children like themselves better" »

Posted by DF at 07:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How to find a work-family balance? It is hard to keep a successful pace of family and work going. Regardless of if you are a working mom or a working dad. The issues that come up can be very much the same. The reason is that both work and family hold high priorities in most people's homes.

The high priority for work comes from wanting to succeed, increase your income, and grow as a person. The high priority for home is that you want to build a good family life with healthy kids, and a good marital relationship.

"How to find a work-family balance?" »

Posted by DF at 07:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How to enhance and support family relationships? Strengthening family relationships will aid families toward a better life because improvement can be gained in the health area, as well as safety support.

Some include forums dealing with family relationship issues to cultivate healthy bodies and health relationships.

"How to enhance and support family relationships?" »

Posted by DF at 07:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How to discipline children with love? The goals behind disciplining children with love include educating teachers in classrooms and day care centers as well as parents.

First and foremost, great discipline can assist in establishing great families.

"How to discipline children with love" »

Posted by DF at 07:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How to deal with relationship issues with an adopted child? Adopted children are individuals with a background of the culture and home they came from as well their unique personalities and personal traits. When a child is moved into a new home and family, there is much uncertainty. Under a year, it is easy for a child to forget bad things that may have happened to them. Older children already have memories and fears and hurts, as all individuals will have.

Social worker terminology could call this culture shock. Children are moldable enough, usually, to learn new ways. But it is very difficult to unlearn the way they were raised in other home environments.

"How to deal with relationship issues with an adopted child" »

Posted by DF at 07:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How to create a happy blended family? You will find that what used to be the traditional family might have been, a mom and dad and their kids. In this day and age a common term is blended family. This is a family wherein all members are not related by blood. It can consist of his kids and her kids and the parents. Also a blended family can be one with foster children, or include an aunt with children, or a family with a foreign exchange student. Sometimes people adopt others of no relationship like godfathers and godmothers etc.

In cooking, several items can be put in a blender, to form a smoothie, or batter for pancakes in the mixer. The term-blended family is similar in that all the similarities and differences are combined to form a blended and working family unit.

"How to create a happy blended family?" »

Posted by DF at 07:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Words can be very damaging, to both the speaker of the words, and the person the words are directed at. The problem with words is, they do not leave a physical mark, so many people are not as careful as they should be, or they think that if they say, "It's just words" or "I really didn't mean it", then the problem goes away. This is not true. Verbal abuse is a very real problem. Let's take a look at verbal abuse in relationships:

When you are in a relationship you are supposed to be comfortable, to feel loved, and to know you have value. When over time, hurtful or in play words begin to sink in and eat away at a persons' self-worth. If you hear something enough you may begin to believe what is being said, not realizing that it is a distorted version of reality. The problem with verbal abuse is just that most do not take it as a serious form of abuse even though it is.

"A look at verbal abuse in relationships" »

Posted by DF at 07:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you spend a lot of time with someone you learn all of their negative qualities, their problems, and the things about them that annoy you. This is one of the best and worst things about being family. Family knows you, who you are, what you are, what you are bad at, what you are good at, etc. Sometimes because of this it is hard to stay friends with your family. However, keeping your family as your friends is highly important. Let's take a look at the reasons why:

1. Although you don't choose family members, in families there is unconditional love. It is an honest, lasting, and valuable love that you can only get when you really know someone. So, one of the reasons you should keep your family as your friends is that they know the real you and love you anyway. That is sometimes asking a lot.

"Why it is important to keep your family as your friends" »

Posted by DF at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When you see your children argue, it is hard to not want to step in and stop them from fighting. There are a lot of things you can do when you see your children argue, but what choice is the best? You can ground, you can ignore, you can start yelling at them, join the argument, etc. So, let's take a look at what not to do when your children argue.

It's tempting as a parent to always jump in to an argument, and put a stop to it. No one wants to see their children argue. However, doing this can often reinforce the very fears that began the argument, and deprives the children of working the issue out for themselves. If you always solve the problem for the child, you do not allow them to learn problem solving skills for themselves.

"What you should not do when your children argue" »

Posted by DF at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)