One of the most common questions clients ask me is, "Should we have family meetings?" Many parenting experts recommend them, and I'm not opposed to them—unless you use any of the following three techniques, which will lead to seriously bad meetings and dysfunctional family relationships.
Imagine your child running in the park. Can you hear the laughter and joy from just being outside in nature? How about climbing a tree and pretending it is the masthead of a ship? That is what our young grandson Ridge did last weekend. It was a complete joy to join in his fantasy. By standing on the ground and asking him to tell me what he could see through his imaginary telescope he brought me into his life. It is just one more suggestion to add to my collection of 77 Ways To Have FUN With Your Family For Free.
If you have come to the realization that you’re gay and you’ve got kids, I’m sure you are stressed and worried about the impact it could have on your kids AND you are probably wondering what your experience will be like as a gay parent. Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to talk about specific age groups and what the experiences can be like for both you and your kids.
Imagine a scene where you ask your teen to pick up his clothes and he smiles and does it immediately. Does that sound too far-fetched. Maybe not, read on…. Every teen misbehaves at some point or another. From talking back and slamming doors to ditching class and using profanity. It’s normal for teens to want to feel independent, but it’s not acceptable for them to act out in a negative manner. Don’t go to the extreme, however — sending them off to boarding school isn’t the answer.
There are a few things we know for sure. Don't abuse your children. Do feed, clothe and shelter them. Beyond that, you can probably find some sketchy opinion or study to back up any position you take on parenting.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that ALL of their ideas are good ones. In fact, many are silly, impossible or end up setting a bad precedent. Donuts and chocolate cake for breakfast? Drawing with permanent markers while sitting on your new couch? Of course not. However, many of the things they complain about when it comes to their parents are right on the money.
Imagine a scene where you are laughing and having fun with the children in your life? Can you picture the joy you will feel when there is no stress or disharmony? Is it possible to have that quality time with your family and children in your circle of influence? You will think more positively after you have read these three easy steps to really enjoy children.
In the previous article we talked about things but you should not do. In this article we'll talk about things that you could do to make it more certain that your partner will do something about their drinking. As suggested in the previous article, as the partner of the drinker you should not fall into the trap of co-dependency, that is living the life reacting to the behavior of the drinker.
Suppose your child has left Legos all over the living room again! Can you picture the chaos? Can you feel yourself become frustrated immediately? Are your shoulders instantly stiffening just thinking about the scene and the consequences? And this was just pretend. What happens when you are right in the midst of inappropriate behavior? Ponder What Discipline Really Means
The Thanksgiving holiday is a perfect time to offer up some ideas that each can consider for bringing the family back to what you want it to be and start having more fun with each other in the light of love and connection.
What’s with the quality time that everyone tries to accomplish with their families? Do you run yourselves ragged trying to cram a week’s worth of quality time into your evenings and weekends. As a result, you feel even more pressure and guilt because all this quality time has left no time for housework and the more mundane aspects of family life.
