Children love to play games with their friends, but many times fun and laughter turn into resentment and sad feelings. What might appear as pettiness to us is actually a very upsetting situation in the making. Occasionally, when children’s feelings are hurt deeply enough, they choose to shut down communication with their friends, turning inward rather than finding a way to resolve…
Ahhh! You gotta love the end of school! So much time with the fam. It’s what we wait for all year long, right? Well… With teens in the house, some of that summertime bliss can heat up quickly if we’re not careful. Clear communication is a priority for many parents. However, talking with adolescents seems to…
There is so much information out there on how to parent—or how not to! The question we often ask ourselves is, “Are we doing enough?” I would dare say we’re doing too much. In my work with older teens (ages 16-19) and young adults (ages 20-26), I would say we could all use some assistance when it comes to…
Easter is a fun celebration with kids! Most young families (and their children) are involved in a frenzy of exciting activities including family lunches, egg hunts, and baskets full of candy. So, it’s no wonder why children enjoy the festivities surrounding this springtime holiday. Besides all the entertaining events with family and friends, Christian parents…
Seems there’s a lot of rage happening in our world right now. Many of us are experiencing fury over various injustices, ongoing health concerns, and a general feeling that society is falling apart. It’s enough to make one scream! And many of us are doing just that—at each other. The ash left behind Stress from ongoing cultural circumstances definitely bleeds over into…
If you’ve been in the workforce much time at all, I’m sure you’ve noticed varied types of behavior from other employees. Some of this is simply due to individual personality traits. But other times, behavior may signal something deeper, such as a mental health issue. The conduct of co-workers is learned over time—after watching them…
Do you ever wonder why some couples have better communication skills and intimacy from day one of their marriage, while others seem to crater within the first year? Or why some of your married friends make it through difficult times better than other couples you know? Most Americans want to be married at some point…
I had a moment recently with one of my teenagers, but it wasn’t exactly one of those heart-warming talks that you see between parent and child on the Hallmark™ channel. We had this particular “convo” (aka “conversation” for those of us over 30) because there were some patterns I was seeing her demonstrate that I wanted…
Have you lost that loving feeling when it comes to the relationship with your spouse? As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I meet a fair amount of people who feel they no longer have the ability to “date their spouse.” As they allow me to step into their relational constructs, I usually find a common thread.…
Kids today are exposed to a lot of not-so-reality romance-driven TV shows and movies. And despite the backward way many of those relationships are portrayed through secular media outlets, there is something special to this thing we call love! In fact, the Bible mentions the word love close to 500 times. We read in 1 John 4:8 that God is love! And in John…