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Each week, we post the latest articles and new blog content across a variety of categories. Browse our latest.
Thinking Before You Speak
We’ve all said something in the moment that we’ve immediately regretted. Whether or not you believe in the teachings of the Bible, James 1:19 contains sage advice: “Be quick to listen. Slow to speak. And slow to become angry.” It’s our tendency to do the opposite, but if we can pause and think first, we’ll have much less regret afterward.
5 Rules for Helping Your Kids Fight Fair
It’s not a bad thing when your children fight. The conflict is an opportunity for them to learn how to resolve it. Without guidance, kids would be pretty darn terrible at conflict resolution. Thankfully, they have you to establish the rules. Establish the fair fight guidelines. These are the rules that make sense for your family. Some ideas to get you started include: No name calling Say “I’m sorry” [...]
What To Do When You Hear Your Child Is Being Bullied
Before we get started, here’s a touching and adorable anti-bullying ad Android ran during the Oscars. It will get you in the right frame of mind. https://youtu.be/gk5yeiydxV4 Bullying is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad thing just about every kid has to deal with as they grow up. As a parent, when you find out about it, you hurt for your kids in a real way. It can [...]
Have the Conversation
By Joe Dubowski, MS Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Ever find yourself rehearsing a conversation with someone in your head? Has that conversation ever been with your husband, wife or romantic partner? Have you ever, at a later time, actually had that conversation with them? How did it turn out? Was it anything like what you expected—that is, did your partner say what you thought they would say? It [...]
Coping With the Loss of a Beloved Pet
There’s no debate. A great pet is a member of the family, and losing a family member is an incredibly difficult and painful thing to work through. The feelings of loss are powerful, but when welcomed and treated appropriately, they can be overcome in time. Here are some things we’ve learned about pet bereavement over the years. 1. Grief after the death of a pet is normal. This is the [...]
What I Do When My Kids Say, “OUCH!”
By: Susan Stutzman, MA Licensed Professional Counselor Recently, I watched my children play when one of my daughters tumbled a bit. As I went to check on her, I saw she was physically fine but momentarily a bit jostled. As I like to do, I began to help my daughter act out what happened and offer to kiss it, letting her know that I saw her tumble, would validate that [...]