Mood killers don’t just ruin a moment, they hurt a marriage if they become ongoing patterns of behavior. For example, avoid what I call “The only thing you want” mood killer. This can hurt a marriage if your spouse thinks you’re only showing an interest in them because you want something in return. Look for opportunities to remind your spouse that you find her interesting and enjoy her company, with no strings...
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As parents, we want to protect our children from every harm in the world. But unfortunately, we can’t always control what life throws at our kids—like bullying. Whether it’s emotional or physical bullying, many parents are unequipped to deal with this serious issue. So here are two key truths parents must keep in mind. First, bullying harms our child’s feeling of safety. To combat this, we must first comfort our...
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Of course, parenting is difficult, but it’s exciting and enjoyable too! So here are 2 ways to have fun teaching your kids virtues. First, teach them the value of patience. Have fun with this by playing waiting games like “The Cookie Test.” In this game, tell your child they may have one cookie now or two cookies if they can wait until after dinner. Who doesn’t love learning when desserts are involved? Second,...
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A great date night takes more than just creativity to be effective. So we’ve got a plan-a-date night checklist for you. It’s got some simple steps to help you make the most of your time with your spouse. For example, get your family business done before or after the date. It’s tempting to use date time to go over your to-do lists, solve financial questions, figure out your vacation and holiday schedules or solve...
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Your kids may be more comfortable texting than talking…and that can be frustrating. But there is hope. Here are 3 steps that you can take to encourage more talking and relationship building: set the scene, set values, and set guidelines. First, set the scene. Discuss why they seem to struggle with putting technology over relationships. Admit where you may struggle and encourage them with sympathy, instead of...
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As a parent, it’s important to handle disappointments in life well. Why? Because your children are watching and learning how to handle disappointments based on your behavior. So here are 3 ways to handle disappointments. First, face it. Being honest about what and why you’re disappointed is the first step toward overcoming it. Next, accept and move forward. Work within the framework of your present life—accepting...
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As parents, most of us are deeply committed to raising our kids well. But no parent is perfect. We all mess up—probably more often than we’d like to admit. So here are 2 common parenting mistakes and how to avoid them. First, we refuse to let our children fail. To avoid this, we need to understand that removing the possibility of failure dilutes our child’s motivation to excel. Second, we make the mistake of...
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