CNN Living offers up “A sweet assortment of love stories” to get us in the mood for Valentine’s Day! They asked people to leave voicemails telling their love stories and then created a multimedia page for us to share in…
Harsh parenting: bad grades, riskier behavior
CNN Parents highlights the dangers of harsh parenting: over-reliance on peers, more sexual activity, more delinquency. The study published in the journal Child Development was led by Rochelle Hentges, a postdoctoral psychology fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. It focused…
Staying happy: 5 tips for no matter what happens
CNN’s Health section highlights five coping strategies from the Dalai Lama, including being gentle with yourself, making time to reflect, keeping compassion at hand, helping, and being playful. Jen Christensen writes (excerpt): First step, work on compassion and start by…
If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter? The way to improving your life and your relationships
Psychology Today shows a method for improving relationships and marriages with its “The Tao of Improv: 5 Rules for Improvising Your Life.” Giving up control in favor of adopting with a more generous, supportive and organic mindset leads to a…
What is the secret of love? Science says a spirit of goodwill
The Atlantic went to the core of relationships and the science behind lasting relationships. So how do we make our marriages and relationships better, more enjoyable, happier, more workable, lasting? Emily Esfahani Smith writes (excerpt): There are many reasons why…
Who will take care of you and your kids?: Helping young children through divorce
Mister Rogers lives on through his words of wisdom. His advice for parents, “The Mister Rogers Parenting Book,” addresses divorce and separation, and includes (excerpt): [Y]oung children . . . want to know, “Who will take care of me?” .…
Add a little Awe to your life: How to find better health and more happiness
Parade Magazine focuses on the link between the wonder of Awe and the resulting health and happiness. Psychologist Dacher Keltner refers to Awe as a transcendent feeling “of something vast or beyond human scale.” You feel connected and “see things…
“The kids are the project and their well-being is the goal”: Helping children of divorce
CNN spotlights how to help children adjust to their parents’ divorce without unnecessary anxiety, depression and other emotional distress. Kelly Wallace writes (excerpt): “No. 1 would be teamwork, teamwork, teamwork,” said [Dr. Michelle] Rozen, who also works as a parenting…
How to apologize: meaning & empathy
CNN addresses children and apologies, offering lessons to us all. Kelly Wallace writes (excerpt): Erik Fisher, a psychologist working in the Atlanta area and co-author of “The Art of Empowered Parenting: The Manual You Wish Your Kids Came With,” said…
Is there a life waiting for me after divorce or a breakup? 4 tips for moving toward what you really want
The Chicago Tribune provides comments on moving forward after a divorce or breakup. Alison Bowen writes her article under these four themes (excerpt): Give yourself space Address practical concerns Figure out what you want the future to be Don’t jump…
How do I know if he or she is an abuser? 15 warning signs
Dear Abby reprinted her warning signs of an abuser, whether boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife. Her risk factors include (excerpt): 1. PUSHES FOR QUICK INVOLVEMENT . . . . 2. JEALOUS . . . . 3. CONTROLLING . . .…
“What he did to me doesn’t expire”: Pulling pine needles out of your hair
Following up on the Brock Allen Turner Rape Case at Stanford BuzzFeed News has posted the victim’s Impact Statement. While he faced about a 14 year prison sentence, Turner received 6 months in jail. The 12-page Victim Impact Statement concluded…
The joy of marriage: Picking a good mate and getting lucky
Time’s June 13, 2016 edition features the cover story “How to Stay Married (and why).” Factors favoring long-term marriages include: getting married after age 26, having college degrees, not having kids and not being pregnant, being employed and having financial…
Parenting gone wild: words, emotions and warnings
Love & Logic highlighted six questions to ask yourself when your parenting efforts aren’t going well. Their recent newsletter included these three self-evaluation tools (excerpt): 1. Am I using too many words as I implement the technique? The more words…
Rebuilding trust into relationship: Time, choice, emotions
Jim Daly’s column discussed forgiveness and reconciliation in the context of infidelity. Jim Daly writes (excerpt): [F]orgiveness is an individual decision, whereas reconciliation is a joint venture. . . . Without true forgiveness there can be no reconciliation, but one…
What’s the best age to get married? The perfect 5 year window
TIME offers us research on timing your marriage. A University of Utah study suggests that best time for people to get married is between the ages of 28 and 32. That period was the lowest rate for divorce in the…
When parents fight: What does my child want?
This 6 year old girl helps her mom–and the rest of us–put things in perspective.
Do It Yourself Divorce? Sure, unless your future matters
It’s always sad when a good person comes in to meet with me about a post-judgment problem only to discover their DIY divorce locked him or her into a bad, unworkable situation. We’ve seen this many times, and it recently…
Should I loan money to my brother, sister, in law, son, daughter, friend, et cetera, et cetera: Four big questions
USA Today provides some insights into lending to family and friends. Susan Tompor writes (excerpt): How do you know if you can afford to help out a friend or family member without putting yourself in danger of a financial hardship?…
How to know if your family is dysfunctional: And letting go once you know
On Being highlights our tendency toward stressing over family gatherings, holidays included. Courtney E. Martin writes (excerpt): You may have a boatload of angst over something even more basic . . . whether your family even constitutes a family in…