August 2, 2010The New York Times highlights the “Un-Divorced” who choose to stay separated.
Pamela Paul writes (excerpt):
“Many people I’ve worked with over time enjoy the benefits of being married: the financial perks, the tax breaks, the health care coverage,” said Toni Coleman, a couples therapist in McLean, Va. “They maintain a friendship, they co-parent their kids, they [...]
Posted in Families/Children, Finances/Tax, Relationships 
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July 21, 2010USA Today highlights the rise in people–especially teens but also adults–who send text messages with sexual content or nude pictures of themselves.
Stephanie Steinberg writes (excerpt):
To combat the problem, Sophy says, schools should incorporate lessons about appropriate texting in sex education classes. LG Mobile Phones also launched an initiative called LG Text Ed in which parents [...]
Posted in Families/Children, Relationships No Comments »
July 1, 2010The New York Times show how most couples need relationship counseling but are in denial.
Tara Parker-Pope writes (excerpt):
“You don’t wait to see the dentist until something hurts — you go for checkups on a regular basis,” said James V. Córdova, an associate professor of psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., who wrote “The Marriage [...]
Posted in Relationships 2 Comments »
June 16, 2010USA Today shows how “non-resident” dads who don’t live with their children are staying involved with them. Half of all children will spend part of their lives living apart from their fathers.
Sharon Jayson writes (excerpt):
“The point isn’t what fathers do; it’s whether the kid thinks or believes the father cares about them,” says Philip Cowan, [...]
Posted in Families/Children, General, Relationships No Comments »
June 10, 2010CNNasked if your marriage was making you sick and then provided tips for getting better.
Elizabeth Cohen writes (excerpt):
1. Argue well ["What really matters is the quality of your arguments."]
2. Your spouse is annoying — accept it! ["[W]hen people get along, they just accept something annoying about their partner. They don’t try to alter it . [...]
Posted in General, Relationships 1 Comment »
March 3, 2010Common Ground sheds light on four myths about marriage.
Claire Maisonneuve writes (excerpt):
Myth #1: Resolving your conflicts is the key to a happy marriage.
[The key is that partners need to feel like they are accepted for who they are and have a fundamental sense of fondness and admiration for each other.]
Myth #2: Problems of sexual desire [...]
Posted in Families/Children, Relationships No Comments »
February 28, 2010Pine Rest is presenting workshops and classes of interests to parents:
Starting March 4–Parenting With Love & Logic (March 4 – April 29): Pine Rest’s Holland Clinic presents an 8-week class for parents of children ages 6-12. Call 616/820-3780 for more information or to register.
Starting March 9–Together We Can: Support Our Kids During Divorce: Pine [...]
Posted in Finances/Tax, Relationships, Something Different 1 Comment »
January 31, 2010The New York Daily News reveals research showing that couples who use ‘we’ are happier than those who use ‘I’, ‘me’ or ‘you.’
Sherryl Connelly writes (excerpt):
“We-ness” is a language that spouses who are better able to resolve conflicts speak, according to new study from the University of California, Berkeley.
The other good words are “our” and [...]
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January 20, 2010Tiger Woods’ treatment for Sex Addiction may do for Sex Addiction awareness what OJ Simpson did for awareness of Domestic Violence. Many men are secretively lost in the cyclone of Sex Addiction. Sex addiction is insidious and progressive. It is a toxin to the soul and fabric of individuals, relationships, and our communities. Although these [...]
Posted in Relationships 3 Comments »
December 24, 2009WOOD-TV reports that Grand Rapids marriage expert/author Emerson Eggerichs is off to Iraq to visit the troops. Here’s why (excerpt):
In November, the military released statistics noting in the 2009 fiscal year alone there were more than 27,000 divorces among service members. The military says those numbers have been rising steadily since 2001.
Posted in Relationships, Something Different 1 Comment »
December 12, 2009Psychology Todaytutors men on how to apologize to a woman and maybe save a marriage along the way. [NOTE: This was written before the Tiger Woods scandal!]
Sam Margulies gives men these six elements of a proper apology to a woman(excerpt):
1. Acknowledge the Wrongful Act ["I was wrong and I am sorry."]
2. Acknowledge that You Have [...]
Posted in Relationships 1 Comment »
December 1, 2009USA Today shows us how couples with plenty of relationship doubts get married anyway, especially those who have been living together. The articles differentiates between having cold feet and feeling more serious reservations. One of the difficulties for researchers is our ability to time-travel and forecast the divorce before the wedding.
Sharon Jayson writes [...]
Posted in Relationships 1 Comment »
November 8, 2009The New York Times shows how children of same-sex couples are doing just fine, highlighting research by Abbie E. Goldberg, an assistant professor in the department of psychology at Clark University and author of “Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children.”
Lisa Belkin writes (excerpt):
More enlightening than the similarities, however, are the differences, the most striking [...]
Posted in Families/Children, Relationships, Something Different 1 Comment »
October 30, 2009The New York Times focuses on a different topic (Money Talks to Have Before Marriage), but includes an interesting discussion of statistical analysis and the risk of divorce.
Ron Lieber writes (excerpt):
The risk that any marriage will end in divorce is about 45 percent, according to David Popenoe, a professor of sociology emeritus at Rutgers University. [...]
Posted in Divorce Grand Rapids, Relationships, Something Different No Comments »
October 22, 2009USAToday shares some of Uma Thurman’s reflection on motherhood and “Motherhood,” including struggling to balance home and work lives, and being caught outside in her nightgown.
Olivia Barker writes (excerpt):
So, then, what does motherhood mean to her?
“It’s an invitation to love. It’s the most expansive, loving experience I have ever had … humbling, beautiful” — nightgown-as-streetwear [...]
Posted in Families/Children, Relationships, Something Different No Comments »
September 26, 2009CNN and O, The Oprah Magazine explain that research confirms men and women experience the same relationship very differently and that patience and humor can work better than more of the same.
Gretchen Reynolds writes (excerpt):
“It’s quite possible that he can’t respond in any other way. Our conflict styles develop over a lifetime.” So don’t [...]
Posted in Relationships 1 Comment »
September 25, 2009Brides magazine summarizes five rules for getting and keeping a great marriage. Then it adds a few words about having plenty of sex.
Lexi Dwyer writes (excerpt):
1. Do things together. . . .
2. But also do things separately. . . .
3. Don’t diss. . . .
4. Maintain a united front. . . .
5. Fight fairly. [...]
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July 30, 2009CNN and Parenting.com gives us 11 tips on how to save your marriage from your kids
Teri Cettina’s list includes (excerpt):
Create warm welcomes
Try 20-minute reconnects
Set early bedtimes
Share the load
Encourage your kids’ independence
Revive your past
Put sex on your schedules
Fight as if the neighbors can hear you
Remember: Dad’s way works, too
Be a cheap date
Understand the stages of marriage
Posted in Families/Children, Relationships No Comments »
July 6, 2009The Detroit Free Press identifies the need for couples to take action, work with their marriage counselor and avoid four obstacles to a successful therapy relationship.
Alex Kecskes writes (excerpt):
1. Couples don’t have a goal in mind. They’re stuck in their own feelings about the relationship, their own blame about how their partner has wronged them, [...]
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June 27, 2009CNN and Health Magazine show how making some effort leads to making your marriage last.
Kate Stinchfield explains 9 ways to a happy, healthy marriage (excerpt):
1. Watch your waistline
2. Have a financial plan
3. Figure out your family rules
4. Make sex a priority — but not a chore
5. Be flexible
6. Stay active as you age
7. Gab [...]
Posted in Relationships 2 Comments »
