Family

A seven- year-old child climbed atop the kitchen table, as requested by his elderly grandfather. An alleged life lesson was about to be taught. As the child’s knees shook, there was a bit of anxiety which was clearly perceived in…
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When you have more than one child, inevitably one of your children will accuse you of favoring the other. This is normal and any of us who grew up with siblings feels that mom or dad favored one of the…
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If we are to be honest, there is a natural human inclination to favor one’s own biological children. These children, after all, have bonded with us since their conception. We have made sacred pacts with ourselves and our world to…
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As adult children start to get older, it may become obvious that their parents are no longer young and active. At some point, the roles may totally reverse themselves. The aging parents who spent a good portion of their lives…
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Feeling inadequate? Concerned about your parenting techniques? Not sure if your child truly loves you? These are all foundational underpinnings of insecurity that interplay with favoring your child. Combine these feelings with bringing in a step-child and you have a…
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Rivalry among children is a common occurrence in any family. For a blended family, it becomes more complicated. When a new child is introduced to your own children as a new stepsister or stepbrother, it almost always brings about some…
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Absolutely not!  A parent is only expected to rear their child.  Although it is easy for the parents to influence a child, parents can not make their child good or bad.  The child may mind their parents as long as…
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Many psychologists will tell you when it comes to change there are few areas where quick decisions should never be made. A few of these are, a location move, job change, divorce, and a quick marriage. With that knowledge, we…
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When we are children, we rely on our parents to take care of our every need. They are our generous and sole providers of shelter, food, love, guidance and nurturing. Later in life, though, when our parents become elderly or…
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As young adults we leave our parents to make our own way in the world. Life takes us in unique directions, hard or easy, and time moves on. We are resonsible for ourselves, and for whoever else we have chosen…
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It can be ironic how sibling rivalry can exist between two children who are not blood-related but children will be children and dealing with sibling rivalry in a blended family is similar to a traditional family. Especially when the step-siblings…
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I remember growing up and hearing things that my parents would say to me, and I would get so tired of hearing these things being said to me over and over again.  I would go in my room, shut my…
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Families have a responsibility to each other. Whether it is a parent’s responsibility for their child, or a child’s responsibility toward aging or infirm parents, healthy familial relationships should exist in which every member looks out for each other. In…
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Conflicts within the blended family environment are common as family members often feel they need to assert their authority and independence for a variety of reasons. This may be caused by personal insecurities, lack of trust in a parental figure…
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It is a difficult dilemma for any adult to decide when their responsibility to a parent outweighs their own responsibility to their future. One of the conundrums of life is that it turns full circle and perhaps to illustrate what…
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Parents are indeed responsible for their child’s behavior, but parents are not the only ones who carry the burden of raising and instilling values in children. A child develops his or her psyche, world view, behavioral traits and so forth…
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It appears all too often, expression of anger, and conflict is viewed as, BAD. We all have a range of emotions, and feelings. The appropriate expression of these emotions and how to resolve conflict has led to awesome results. Good…
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A father can be very important in a child’s life.  This is for many different reasons, including the following. He can give the child love Many children gain a lot from the love their dad gives to them.  Feeling love…
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It was 1979, and my whole world was upside down. My Mother, who had always been the epitome of domestic bliss, was now going out on the weekends with a mystery man. It wasn’t that I minded. My parents’ final…
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“A Not So Nuclear Family”  Although I’ve never said it to her face I have often felt, on several occasions, that my mother’s attempts to win at gambling are somewhat futile. I have been under the auspices for several years…
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Human nature allows a Mother and a Father to create and give life to a child. By nature a Mother is nurturing to the needs and wants of her child just as a Father is nurturing to the needs and…
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One of the deepest desires of any parent is that one day their child will grow up and become a happy, fulfilled and successful citizen. We try our best to install a good set of moral values, teach our cherished…
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Stories like Cinderella depict the stepparent as an evil being that wants nothing to do with their stepchildren while favoring their own. Though it is fiction, there are stepparents that are extremely biased towards their own children. Perhaps a step…
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At various stages of a child’s life, their wants, needs and expectations change. There are some basics, that all children want. Some of these are conscious others unconscious. Step-children, need consistency, truth, and need to know they are wanted. Children…
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One of the worst things about your parents not agreeing with your choice of a significant other is often the affect that their opinions can have on how YOU view the person. As grown up as you may claim to…
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When I was growing up, one of the things I looked forward to in life the most was spending quality time with my father.  Unfortunately, that time was never enough!  I was the youngest of five children, and my dad…
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Bipolar effects all types of people. The disorder affects children, teens, and adults. Even parents.  In Pennsylvania alone, out of 123 parents tested for bipolar studies found that 83 of those parents had bipolar disorder. Biopolar disorder can cause outbursts,…
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How Children of Sperm Donors can find their Biological Fathers. All children have questions growing up, but for some parents the answer to ‘where did I come from’ does not have a clear and simple answer. When a child is…
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This is a very delicate subject for parents to discuss.  You have just spent twenty to thirty years raising your beautiful daughter to be the best she can be.  Now, you must ask yourself, “Can I trust this person to…
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Getting married is a very exciting time for the bride and groom. Two people getting married may want to shout the news at the top of their lungs or perhaps do something a bit more extreme like jumping on Oprah’s…
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