Summer is almost here! That means school is out and a break from the typical routine. Which can be great. It can also spell varied expectations, household tension, and extra work for parents. So get ahead of the game and create a summer contract for teens. [Read more…]
Surviving the Emotional Toll of Family Court
Going to court is extremely stressful. Enduring court when there is children involved is nothing short of traumatizing! In this post, I desire to give comfort and practical tips to those that are involved in family court. Both from personal and my professional court advocacy experience, I know court dealings can be confusing, drawn out, and stressful. While I hope that you personally never experience a court hearing, unfortunately, for many families it is a reality. Here is some practical advice for surviving the emotional toll of family court. [Read more…]
5 Ways to Develop a Household Cleaning Style that Deepens Relationships
We had the same argument for about a year straight. Country Boy loved having people over for dinner…spontaneously. I like a plan. And of course I needed time to clean my whole house! After the umpteenth time of us disagreeing about having company over at the last-minute, I decided that this was NOT working. So I made a decision that for one year I would say yes every time my husband asked to have people over. In that year I learned a lot about myself, hospitality and my cleaning style! How we think about our home, cleaning and our clutter can increase or kill relationships. Here are some of my lessons learned with 5 ways to develop a household cleaning style that deepens relationships. [Read more…]
What Every Teen Craves from Their Parents
When I teach groups, I am always shocked when I hear a similar phrase over and over from the teenagers. In my current groups, we have both parents and teens. But every time we separate and gather into a smaller teen only group and start discussing life at home, a common theme arises. You know what every teen craves from their parents? Time! That is the number one need teens will say they wish they had more of with their parents.
A Secret to a Happier Marriage
Remember when you got married? You were so in love! You saw only the best in your man. But somewhere along the way during married life it became harder to see the finest in one another. Do we just give up on what we want? Do we try to change our husband? What if instead of settling or driving ourselves nuts trying to change our man, we discovered his secret strength. Want to know a secret to a happier marriage? When you see and release the hero in your husband. So put on those rose-colored glasses girl! Because you are about to be amazed at the prize you won when you married YOUR man! [Read more…]
Why Your Child Will Succeed
It was decision time. Our second child needed to choose a college. It had been an exhausting process. I could feel myself slipping back into thinking, “If only.” If only we had filled out more scholarship applications. If only we had applied to more colleges! “Enough”, my brain finally told me. We are all searching for THE way to raise our kids so that they will have the best chance at life. It was several months after this critical time in out lives that I had a light bulb moment. There is no ONE way. Do you want to know why YOUR child will succeed? Because of that great mix of you as the parent and them as the child! [Read more…]
6 Simple Ways to Capture Family Memories in 2018
When scrapbooking was at the height of its popularity, I would look longingly at the beautiful crafted books that scrapbooking moms would create. They were just so beautiful! But scrapbooking required a lot of time and a chaos of paper, stickers and special scissors to be everywhere. Scrapbooking also required you to CUT your pictures, which is something I would agonize over. Alas, my scrapbooking career came to a screeching halt before it began. Which is why I have had to learn easier ways to record sweet family moments that only took a little time each day! So here are 6 simple ways to capture family memories in 2018 that only take minutes a day. [Read more…]
Survive and Connect with Your Kids During Winter Break
It adds to the Christmas magic when you have children in the house. Children get so excited anticipating opening presents, being off school and seeing family. But with children also comes drama. I’ve heard more than a few parents worrying about their children being off their schedules for 2 weeks over break. We’ve all been there! When children have too many late nights, too much sugar and not enough structure there is bound to be trouble! Here are some guidelines to help you survive and connect with your kids during winter break! [Read more…]
5 Warning Signs of a Toxic Relationship
Love. We all desire to be special to someone. We will give a lot of ourselves to see a relationship work and blossom. However, it’s crucial we recognize the signs of a toxic relationship, so our passion to make a relationship work doesn’t blind us to the truth. Most people believe that they would quickly leave an toxic relationship. Unfortunately, that is not always true since a toxic person can be very manipulative. It can become increasing hard to know when a relationship has gone from one with a few problems to toxic. So let’s review the 5 warning signs of a toxic relationship. [Read more…]
