While generally having a positive connotation (i.e., “on holiday” can be substituted for the phrase, “on vacation.”), the fact is the holidays are more stress-filled than joyful-at least for most people that I know. One of the biggest contributors to…
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This is where things get really difficult, when they don’t need to be. It all starts with the way some parents were raised when they were kids. Many subscribe to the notion of “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” I…
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Funny. I thought it was from family that we learned to handle criticism in the first place. Maybe my family is unusual, but it is from them that I dealt with criticism first-and most. That’s still the case, too. I’m…
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The fact that this question even has to be asked tells me that some family, somewhere has a member with ADHD, considers the family dysfunctional and wants someone or something to blame. In my humble (and, perhaps, meaningless) opinion, dysfunction…
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January 30, 2014 Friends and Peers
Perhaps the short and easy answer to this question is you should always face your problems. But, it seems there are a number of extenuating circumstances which can make the answer not-so-easy or short. To what degree does the problem…
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Answering this question can be very difficult depending on how it’s interpreted. Is this a personal rift between you (the reader) and one other family member? Is this a two person argument in which the reader is not personally involved,…
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December 27, 2013 Communication
There are many who would say the answer to this question is “always.” Then there are those who can’t fathom that there would ever be a time not to talk. Probably the best answer falls somewhere in between. For those…
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I would liken this to not liking the girlfriend of a good friend of yours. You have a few choices, but there is little you can actually do about it. I have three brothers. They’re all older than me and, by…
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I’d start off by saying that if two people are married and they can’t communicate about their disagreements with each other and not in front of the children, we’ve already got problems. There are a number of reasons a parent…
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Of all the potentially insulting, negative and hurtful words to use as an example, I’d say “fag” is one of the least hurtful words you could have chosen. I’m not saying it can’t be insulting. Of course it can. But…
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September 22, 2013 Communication
In any relationship, whether it be between lovers or family members or platonic friends, communication is among the most important qualities for success. However, giving a simple “yes/no” answer to the question posed (“Is Communication the Key to Overcoming Obstacles?”…
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September 10, 2013 Marriage and Divorce
Compulsory? Really? Is that what we’ve come down to? It needs to be mandated that two people sign a prenuptial agreement before walking down the aisle? If that’s the attitude, why get married at all? The whole idea of a…
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September 10, 2013 Marriage and Divorce
I’ve always said that the number one cause of divorce is marriage. If people didn’t get married, there wouldn’t be nearly as many divorces. It might be the case that this oversimplifying things. But, the fact is when people are…
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Family conflicts can be so utterly stupid, yet be intensely painful to watch or, worse yet, be a part of. Family are the first and most lasting influences we have, but, as we grow older and more independent, we start to realize…
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Everybody wants to feel, at least partly, in control. There is a difference between having control (this can be self-control or in control of emotions or a number of things), and being controlling. Some people are very good at being…
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