Family

As we all know there are good mother-in-laws who are caring, friendly, considerate and fair. There are also the monsters we all hear about who try to interfere, demand your attention, are bossy or critical. One of the problems with…
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It is not easy for a parent to cope when a child changes the religion, and accepts the traditions and customs from a different family after marriage.  It is true that many families will have a very difficult time dealing…
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If all parents and teenagers, over the ages, could not see eye to eye there must certainly be a reason. Something other than, teenagers are just difficult or strange. The fights are always about the same issues. You can talk…
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Becoming a step father is a terrifying, rewarding, frustrating, heart warming, life changing experience. Choosing to enter in to a step parenting role is not a decision to be taken lightly, so my first advice is to take time to…
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This is another helium question which could be answered either way. As I am wont to do, I am looking at the wording of the question verbatim and responding appropriately. If the question read: “Are parents FULLY responsible…” I would…
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It is not acceptable to vent to your children about your current or ex spouse. the child has no reason to be brought into the fight or disagreement of the parents. Venting to your child only has one of two…
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Being a single parent I can relate to this article, because I have three children by two different men. Both of them have not bothered to pay a single dime of child support in the past decade. Nor do they…
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Family is a sacred staple in the lives of children, regardless of how the family dynamic is made up. To say that remarriage isn’t effectual to a child(ren) is to live in a perfect world where all problems can be…
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For many of us our parents were our first teachers.  It was their initial influence that began to shape how we viewed the world and who we would ultimately become.  It was from them that we first learned to speak…
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I write this coming from a history of the negative consequences of my parents venting to me about each other. Growing up as a child of divorce, no it’s not acceptable or appropriate to vent to a child about the…
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It is a two-hour drive one way from my home in Indiana to my parent’s house in small town Ohio. I recently made the four hour round trip, in my gas-guzzling SUV twice in one week. I won’t be making…
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We have all heard the rather spiteful jokes about interfering, boring and evil mother-in-laws. Of course some mother-in-laws are absolute angels, with not a wicked bone in their body, a few live up to their wicked witch image. Whether you…
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Dealing with children reluctant to move out takes an enormous amount of patience and understanding. Persuading children of appropriate age to leave the home in search for independence when they’re not ready can, and usually does, lead to failure. Consequentially,…
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I adore my daughter-in-law. I also realize that not every mother got as lucky as I did. Whether your daughter or, son-in-law is a blessing or, a nightmare, it’s not going to do you a bit of good to fight…
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I feel that sometimes family members use love to make you feel guilty enough to do things for them. Such as saying, “Well you can’t love me then if you won’t do this for me”. Just as with a child…
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Face it. Most of the time your parents will probably not agree with your choice of a significant other. There are various reasons for this: 1. You are their baby. It doesn’t matter whether you are the first child or…
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There is a powerful element that keeps the cycle of abuse in motion through generations of a family. It can be referred to as the shroud of silence and secrecy, and it is perpetuated by humiliation, fear, and shame. The…
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Abuse isn’t just about hitting or kicking. It’s also being there but being totally invisible, absolutely untouchable. There… but not there. Just sharing air and turning a blind eye to the reality that someone is there depending on you, but…
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There was a time, not so very long ago, when tracing your family history meant that you had to track down documents and family history charts from obscure locations.  As a result, tracing your family history, or genealogy, became more…
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Family crests began hundreds of years ago certainly in Europe and probably elsewhere too. One man in armour looked very much like another, so to declare their name or allegiance the leaders of armies had heraldic devices painted on their…
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Church and cemetery records are valuable assets for genealogists.  Sometimes those are the only records available to give information about your ancestors.  Church records tell about births, marriages, baptisms, deaths and burials. Gravestones are an excellent source of dates, birthplaces,…
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Outlining your family medical history can help identify health risks you may face in the years ahead and help you find ways to avoid or plan for them. Such records only work for blood relatives for obvious reasons. A family…
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Most seniors who are not living in a long term care facility are living with friends or relatives, or in an independent assisted living facility. In order to create a safe living environment for the elderly, one must take preventative…
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Sometimes we feel as though our parents expect too much from us. Many of us deal with these expectations in different ways; some of those ways are negative, and some of those ways are positive. However, it is true that…
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It is lovely to have people stay over, and even though it will add a few dollars more to the weekly budget, and disrupt your routine for a while, you “go with the flow” because you want your guests to…
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“I’m sorry now is not a good time. Thank you for dropping by though. I don’t mean to be rude but I’ve got to get going.” The above should be said on the outside of your front door before your…
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Challenging your children to be thankful for their daily blessings We all know that we need to be grateful for our daily blessings but teaching our children to be thankful for the little things in their daily lives are challenges…
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Family fun shouldn’t have to come with a price tag. After all, as the old saying goes, the best things in life are free, and when it comes to the best things in life, fun with your family is right…
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In times past, it was traditional in many families to all meet at one house every Sunday for a family dinner. With families separated by miles and very often few extended family members around, this practice has fallen out of…
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Spring is a wonderful time of year, as it is a time of renewal, and revitalization. Spring brings new life, flowers are blooming and bird’s are in full chorus, which promotes a happy feeling. The bright, warm days present an…
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