While the reality of love at first sight is debatable, like at first sight isn’t. If you have become infatuated by a peer, co-worker or mutual acquaintance of a friend that you don’t quite know, spending time with her can…
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Romance is actually a general term, and it can be defined by what you and your partner do to connect and get closer to one another. There are endless possibilities, Plan a day around the greatest passions that your partner…
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“He’s Just Not That Into You” is the name of a hit movie and bestseller book. Unfortunately, it’s also the reality for many women. Unrequited crushes occur inevitably. However, sometimes, it’s hard to know if a guy is interested, leading…
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“If love never lasts forever, what’s forever for?” asks singer Olivia Newton-John in the song “What’s Forever For.” The sentiment can sum up what many feel about love. Even so, when it comes down to it, many men balk at…
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“Don’t expect anybody else to support you. Maybe you’ll have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. You never know when either one might run out,” states the lyrics to “Sunscreen,” the infamous commencement speech by Mary Schmich….
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May 14, 2015 Friends and Peers
It’s an indisputable fact that almost everybody desires love. Beyond that, most of us want people to like us, whether it’s the person taking our tickets at the movie theater to co-workers that we encounter on a daily basis for…
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The argument of whether nature or nurture determines one’s personality is ongoing, but much of one’s personality can boil down to personal choices made when reaching adulthood. For instance, shyness may be innate, but it can be slowly unlearned with…
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“I love a rainy night, and I love you, too,” sang Eddie Rabbit in the 1970s classic song “I Love a Rainy Night.” Even if you truly don’t love the rain, there are some great things that you can do…
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When it comes to speed dating, the key word here is speed. During the modern and somewhat odd (but fun) way of getting to know several people at once in an attempt to weed out the ones you don’t want…
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Jewish speed dating is a great way to cut to the good parts of relating to someone special. Instead of wasting your time on several nights of bad dates, you can learn if you have chemistry and a connection with…
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First dates are a source of fun and adventure. They’re your first view into what a possible romance could be like, but you don’t ever want to place that kind of pressure on the date itself. Think of it as…
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May 13, 2014 Marriage and Divorce
Divorce isn’t something that any couple envisions when saying “I Do.” It is, however, inevitable for some couples. It occurs in approximately half of all marriages at some point. There is never a single reason for any divorce, but there…
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“From the second that you were born, you were the love of mine,” so says Carly Simon in the love song dedicated to her children. It’s the sentiment that most parents feel for their own children. Treating stepchildren equally to…
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You have already proven your love to one another by braving the endeavor of merging two families into one blended family. Your love has already proven itself after passing the tests that are foreign to many newlywed couples. Although simply…
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Befriending your stepchild is essential to creating a happy blended family. While you never want to try to be a substitute for a parent, even if your spouse is a widow, you do want to form a supportive, parental-type friendship…
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Dealing with all of the eventual outcomes from a couple’s divorce can be increasingly difficult on their child. Eventually, both parents usually re-marry. Preparing children for this change is something that should happen from the minute each parent starts seriously…
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The dysfunctional traditional family was brought to the forefront of public discussion decades ago, and families-whether blended or traditional-can have growing pains over the years that effect every member of the family. Deciding to merge two families to create a…
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What each child truly expects from his parents and step-parents will be as varied as each individual child. After all, it’s a combination of what the child has been taught to expect from authority, his individual temperament and what he…
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Celebrations and holidays can be the ways that we mark the important times, phases and years of life. When it comes to a blended family, the thought of celebrating can immediately bring thoughts and dilemmas to the forefront. For instance,…
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The threads that create the bond between step-parent and step-child can be slow to adhere to one another at first. A step-child is usually skeptical of a step-parent, and some children are even conditioned by a spouse’s ex to distrust…
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Sibling rivalry can result in continued unhappiness in a child’s life. When it comes to step-sibling rivalry, the repercussions can be far worse. A child can easily feel as though a parent may be favoring a new daughter over his…
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Trust is defined as the reliance on the integrity, strength and ability of a person or thing. You likely want your step-children to feel this at the start of a blended family, but it’s a thing that must be earned….
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Conflicts inevitably occur within blended families. Simply watch the first seasons of “The Brady Bunch” or “Step By Step” to see many of these issues showcased and resolved with comedic antics. In the real world, however, these problems can get…
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A successfully blended family starts with the parents who are initiating the union of two families as one. The attitudes, generosities and kindnesses shown by both parents will set the tone for how the blending of the family happens. This…
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Making your stepchild feel loved and secure is pretty easy once you get over the initial fears and anxieties that come with welcoming a child into your heart from a family that started before you met her. The evil stepmother…
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