Talking to teenagers

Some helpful tips: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-10/five-tips-on-communicating-with-teenagers/7917836  

Studies show that children are sensitive to quieter resentment and passive aggressive comments between parents, not just arguments or fighting: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/10/the-effects-of-a-simmering-parental-grudge/503015/  

  Common courtesy is hardest at home.   * * * *   Don’t keep score.   * * * *   If you are arguing about arguing i.e., ‘I didn’t yell!’ ‘Yes, you did!’ or you are taking turns yelling your point without any effort to really consider the point your partner just made, […]

  “Holding anger is a poison, it eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hating is a curved blade, the harm we do, we do to ourselves.”      -Mitch Albom[i]   ****   “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other […]

Let’s say, for the sake of discussion, that you decide one day that you will no longer have a certain fight with your partner. You clearly love her, and you do not intend to argue. Even though it is hard to let her have her way, you decide that, for the relationship’s sake, you are […]

At some point, you will be happier if you try to accept that your partner will do things that hurt or annoy you from time to time. Your partner can never be exactly who you want him to be all of the time. He may change, he may not, but it will be easier to […]

Compromise is when everyone walks away equally unhappy. Walk in ready to give a little instead of walking in with a list of demands and sticking points.   * * * *   Practice active listening. Pay special attention to hear the other person’s point. Try to avoid just waiting for your turn to talk. […]

Extending the ideas mentioned in the post Sports Playbook, people not only intend different things by certain actions, they express certain ideas by using different actions. This comes up most often in closer relationships, like in families. It is as if family members are trying to say similar things while speaking different languages. With one […]

Relationships are like playing a sport with a teammate who is following a different playbook of rules. Furthermore, you are each constantly editing and changing your own playbook, and you don’t always act in accordance with your book. That leaves a lot of room for inconsistency and misunderstanding. You may be making a legal move […]

Some helpful charts when your feelings exceed your vocabulary: *CORRECTION Updated credit: Dr. Gloria Willcox is the original creator of The Feeling Wheel. Check out her self-published book, “Feelings:Converting Negatives to Positives,”  

This article offers some helpful tips for better communication http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-14482/5-common-mistakes-that-hurt-relationships-what-to-do-instead.html

Due to the demands of my practice, I am no longer able to continue regularly writing the original content posts on the blog. I will, of course, continue to post about resources and articles of interest. Starting today, I will begin reposting the original blog posts as well. Periodically, I may add new content from […]