June 9, 2009CNN shows us the difference between controlling the outcome and controlling how we face the outcome.
Peter Bregman writes (excerpt):
So here’s the good news: You can change your results by changing your mind-set. When Dweck trained children to view themselves as capable of growing their intelligence, they worked harder, more persistently, and with greater success on [...]
Posted in General, Relationships, Something Different 
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June 1, 2009The Detroit Free Press uses the Jon and Kate Gosselin saga at TLC’s “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ as a springboard for a discussion about mistrust, honesty and forgiveness. And what about the children?
Erin Chan Ding writes (excerpt):
BENSKEY: You always want to reassure a child that the problem has nothing to do with them. [...]
Posted in Families/Children, Relationships No Comments »
May 5, 2009CNN connects deforestation with weddings and divorces.
Arwa Damon writes (excerpt):
Newly married couples must plant 10 trees under the program. If they divorce, they must plant 50 others.
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Environmental officials estimate around 50 million trees are needed in Garut alone to reverse the harm done by overfarming.
Indonesia’s government does not have the funds to pay for such [...]
Posted in Relationships, Something Different 1 Comment »
May 3, 2009OPRAH.com shows how connecting with another person promotes happiness.
Jessica Winter writes (excerpt):
In his view, human happiness derives neither from external validation nor solely from within, but from “between”: through the relationships created by love, work, and “something larger than yourself” — whether it’s a religious group, a volunteer organization, or a political campaign.
“If happiness comes [...]
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May 2, 2009DailyCamera.com shows how Working together to separate and divorce leads to better outcomes.
Aimee Heckel writes (excerpt):
But the collaborative process seems to be more effective than a judge throwing down the gavel. A 2005 Canadian study showed more clients were satisfied after a collaborative divorce, and that it led to quantifiable improvements in the relationships between [...]
Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce Grand Rapids, Relationships 1 Comment »
March 21, 2009Psychology Today Magazine speaks for all lovers when it says, “You’re Driving Me Crazy!” This relationship advice helps us to not sweat the small stuff, but to actually change the way we think about it.
Jay Dixit writes (excerpt):
1: “It’s Deliberate”
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“It’s the reaction of the host, not the strength of the pathogen,” says rabbi and [...]
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March 19, 2009Dear Abby’s Abigail van Buren lists 15 warning signs of an abuser (excerpt):
1. Pushes for quick involvement: Comes on strong, claiming, “I’ve never felt loved like this by anyone.” An abuser pressures the new partner for an exclusive commitment almost immediately.
2. Jealous: Excessively possessive; calls constantly or visits unexpectedly; prevents you from going to work [...]
Posted in Relationships 1 Comment »
March 14, 2009CNN and Parenting shows what happened when one mother applied parenting skills to her husband.
By Fernanda Moore writes (excerpt):
Strategy No. 1: Reward good behavior . . . . Good behavior rewarded leads to more good behavior. . . .
Strategy No. 2: Keep it brief . . . . That’s why parenting pros recommend a [...]
Posted in Families/Children, Relationships 1 Comment »
March 10, 2009The Frisky at CNN shares her story of domestic violence and some tips on how to recognize and avoid domestic abuse.
Judy McGuire writes (excerpt):
Here are some behaviors to watch out for:
Too close, too fast [coming on too strong] . . . .
Green-eyed monster [jealous and throwing tantrums] . . . .
You’re wearing THAT?!? [criticizing clothing [...]
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March 3, 2009NBC and WCBD–Charleston, SC shakes us up with the story of Reed Harris and Kaitlin Whipple. Reed tried to make a memory and he succeeded (excerpt):
Everyone except the bride-to-be was in on the plan to stash the ring in the milkshake.
To encourage her to eat the ice cream faster, they challenged her to a [...]
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March 2, 2009A Pine Rest Family Institute email references the image of marriage and “The Bachelor,” with reality TV’s Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney of Grand Rapids. The Institute notes that some marriage counselors criticize such shows as exploiting the collective hope we place in marriage. It links to:
an Oregon Daily Emerald article in which [...]
Posted in Relationships 2 Comments »
February 18, 2009CNN and Parenting.com make cents–rather, sense–of fighting over money and how couples can improve their marriage by resolving money issues.
Michele Bender writes (excerpt):
1. Remember that your relationship is about more than the bottom line . . . .
2. Share your history . . . .
3. Give a little credit . . . .
4. Forget budgets; [...]
Posted in Finances/Tax, Relationships No Comments »
January 15, 2009CNN and Real Simple starts us off with “10 things to say to keep the peace.”
Laurie Puhn’s list includes (excerpt):
1. “Thank you for your opinion. I’ll think about it.”
2. “Is this a good time for you?”
3. “Would you like my thoughts?”
4. “Why don’t we get the facts?”
5. “I need your help. Can you please…?”
6. “Let’s [...]
Posted in Families/Children, Relationships No Comments »
January 13, 2009The Washington Times advises wives to stop trash talking their husbands behind their backs, with suggestions from Michele Weiner-Davis.
Julie Baumgardner writes (excerpt):
If you have been talking badly about your husband, Mrs. Weiner-Davis would encourage you to do the following.
• Don’t look at exiting your marriage as the solution to the problem.
• Notice the positive in [...]
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January 6, 2009CNN reveals the science of love: that couples can feel young love for years and years.
CNN reports (excerpt):
Using brain scans, researchers at Stony Brook University in New York have discovered a small number of couples respond with as much passion after 20 years together as most people only do during the early throes of romance, [...]
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December 13, 2008SFGate’s Amy Graff provides relationship advice from Elizabeth Dixon from the Kaiser Permanente Employee Assistance Program (excerpt):
Dixon says the key is to think of marriage as a bank account. You’re constantly writing checks and making withdrawals . . . . “But you have to make some deposits or else your account will run dry,” Dixon [...]
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December 4, 2008The San Francisco Chronicle peaks into our futures: marriage gets better after the kids are out, so says a UC-Berkeley study.
Leslie Fulbright writes (excerpt):
“We found that marital satisfaction increased as the women transitioned to an empty nest,” said Sara Gorchoff, one of the authors of the study and a doctoral candidate in the psychology [...]
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October 3, 2008CNN and Oprah.com suggest we focus on connecting nonverbally with compassion for each other and with touch, sex, doing things together, and sharing moments together.
Barbara Graham writes (excerpt):
“It’s the connection, stupid!” exclaims Love, quickly adding that it’s not me personally she’s calling stupid. “Everyone — men, women, myself included — needs to learn that before [...]
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October 2, 2008The Telegraph quantifies the secret to a happy marriage:
4 hugs a day
7 evenings in together each month
2 dinner dates a month
2 romantic walks a month
1 visit to a pub or cinema without children or friends
1 evening away from each other a month
flowers or a gift for the wife once a month
John Bingham writes (excerpt):
The secret [...]
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September 11, 2008The New York Times your smartest financial decision is marrying someone who shares your attitudes about money.
Tara Siegel Bernard writes (excerpt):
“A lot of the debates people have about money are code for how we want to live our lives,” said Betsey Stevenson, assistant professor of business and public policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton [...]
Posted in Finances/Tax, Relationships No Comments »
