How to Respond to Hurtful Words in Front of the Kids
Remember the adage from the classic Disney film, Bambi: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all?” It’s a great lesson to teach our children. But there are times in the midst of stress or grief or anger where we all mess up and say something harsh, even mean, towards our spouse. And when those adversarial interactions occur between divorced parents, sometimes the verbal damage gets worse.
#057: 5 Ways Parents Frustrate Their Teens (Podcast)
As parents, there are many times our teens frustrate us. However, we need to remember that they are struggling with their identity, acceptance, attention, control, and freedom. So the reverse is often true as well: Our teens get frustrated with us. So how can we, as parents, avoid being on our teenager’s list of frustrations and […]
When Should Your Teen Be Allowed to Date?
One frequently asked question we hear from parents: At what age should I let my son or daughter start dating? This is a tough subject for a couple of reasons. First, family traditions and convictions vary wildly, not only concerning what age is appropriate for dating but also on how dating, courting or whatever your family may call it should even be done. Some see dating as just a fun thing to do, while others see it as something that should only occur if it is a serious step towards marriage.
10 Ways to Push Your Spouse Away
It’s so easy to push your spouse away. And you can do so without even realizing it. On several occasions, I’ve pushed my wife, Susan, away and created a distance between us with my critical and condescending words. And Susan would tell you that she’s pushed me away by texting and posting when I wanted […]
#056: Lessons Kids Need to Learn with David Staal (Podcast)
You are your child’s best teacher—more so than their friends, their siblings, or even their favorite TV show. And as our children’s biggest influence, we need to take every opportunity to instill valuable truths within them. These truths include virtues like selflessness, servant-hood, and perseverance.
How to Communicate Better with Your Spouse
One of the greatest challenges in marriage is to learn how to talk and listen to a spouse who has a different style of communication than our own. Sometimes, Susan and I find ourselves talking at each other more than with each other because our personal styles of communication are so different. Susan likes the whole story, I just want the punch line. Susan tells me details, I only want the bottom line. Susan shares her feelings, I give the facts. Susan likes to discuss it, I like to solve it. Get the picture?
Why You Should Make Out with Your Spouse
Today’s post is a simple one…a plea to all married couples of all ages and stages of life, to kiss…to get kickin’ with some good lip-lockin’. You see, it’s a known fact that it’s good to share kisses, particularly random kisses.
Two to Tango: Marriage Lessons from The Song movie
Susan and I found the The Song movie very meaningful. It’s a movie filled with love and joy. But there are also moments of great struggle and temptation that couples will relate to. In the movie, Jed King, an aspiring rock star marries the love of his life, Rose, and they have children. As Jed becomes […]
#055: 3 Ways to Foster Friendships Between Your Kids (Podcast)
Sometimes, it’s as if siblings were born not getting along with each other. From the bickering and blaming to the wailing and whining, it can be a nightmare for parents! And who can forget their cries of “Daaaaad, Luke isn’t being nice!” Times like these can leave us thinking that our kids’ quarreling will never end. But I’ve found that there are certain practical ways that parents can encourage their children to grow into friends. So on today’s show, my wife, Susan, and I will be sharing 3 ways to foster friendships between your kids.
