The Late-Summer Crazy The kids are arguing…again. The dishes aren’t put away and the floors need attention. Don’t even ask about the status of the bathroom. The sheen of summer break has grown dull and now we’re in the countdown to school. I know many moms are about crazy from …
Kids driving you crazy? Here are 5 sanity savers Read more »
In a previous post, we learned a general introduction to encouragement and that there are typically two types: goal-directed and person-directed. You’ll see several ways to apply this knowledge in several different posts. Here I want to focus on types of support because support is a primary way we can …
You need these 5 types of supportive communication Read more »
He Tried to Help… The other day my husband wanted some Parmesan cheese. It was odd that I didn’t have any in the refrigerator already. I woke up the next morning and saw a new bottle, front and center in our fridge. My first thought was, “He bought the wrong …
A Bad Day Bad days happen, right? Examples of a bad day may include waking up in pain (hip pain and headaches tend to be my wake-up friends lately). Maybe a bad day is when you’re clumsy and nothing seems to go the way you want it to – you …
I’ve been married for 29 years. Don’t let the longevity fool you. We struggle just like everybody else. And just because I have a Ph.D. in communication doesn’t mean I’m immune to the normal, destructive thought patterns we all have. The Little Things It’s far too easy to gripe in …
How do I love thee: Staying in love with your spouse Read more »
Humble pie: Not so tasty, but very healthy Humility Hurts When I’m not writing and coaching, I teach college students. RIght now my classes are fully online. This means the students submit all their work online and I grade and provide feedback in the assignment area. As I worked through …
Marriage Over Time I’ve been married a while. If you have been, too, then you’ve seen that time sort of settles in. You know all his quirks and he knows yours. You have a daily routine and things are likely moving along just fine. Yep, fine. Some days are probably …
My kids say I have the “mom look.” I’m guessing you probably do, too. It’s the look that says, “I know you’re up to something and you’re not getting away with it!” The look is made up of eye gaze, facial expression, and more – all elements of nonverbal communication. …
School Struggles My son was struggling at school. He was making mistakes and not totally putting his attention where it should be. I was frustrated, angry, and overwhelmed. But I didn’t want him to know all that. I wanted to be understanding and help point him in the right direction. …
Marriage is Hard Seriously. It’s probably the most challenging relationship in my life. Between differences of opinion on just about every topic to frustrating little habits that irritate like a pebble in a shoe, day-to-day marriage life is generally not filled with sunshine and roses. Often, the days are filled …