The 3 Re’s of Relationships is a simple model I developed over time to help myself and my counseling clients work through difficult times with our children. The 3 Re’s are Reset, Relate, and Resolve: Reset When we’re upset with our children or simply don't understand their viewpoint, parents, we should put ourselves in “time-out.” [...]
Question: What do curbside trash pickup and building healthy family relationships have in common? Answer: Just like we haul our unusable items to the curb for disposal, we can and should get rid of useless, unhealthy family dynamics and relationship habits that clutter up our home life. Bulky item pickup It’s bulky item pickup time [...]
You want to improve your home life, but where do you start? Try this...take the Home Life Inspection Quiz. It's a fast and free way of inspecting your family relationships in 12 key areas of home life. Then, use your inspection results to begin planning the changes you'd like to make. Share your inspection results [...]
Dad, it’s Father’s Day! On this special occasion (and year-around), you deserve to hear how important and great you are because you’re both—important and great. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for you! But, I want to do more than sing your praises. In this short post, I invite you to [...]
Before home renovations, your home looks like it always did—a little dated here, a little worn out there. After home renovations, your home looks like a magazine, feels like dream, and smells like a breath of fresh air. As families, we experience a similar newness and satisfaction with our family renovations. Before working on our [...]
Tools make a difference in any job we do. Take laundry for example. I’m all for air drying clothes, but I got to tell you…I am grateful for my electric washer and dryer. And, my computer, pencils, pencil sharpener, cell phone…same, I’m grateful for all of those tools! Oh, and shovels, saws, rakes, hammers, screwdrivers, [...]
Summer is a great time to read! By the pool. By the lake. At the beach. In a hammock. With an ice cold lemonade and your favorite sweet-n-salty snacks close by. Summer reading that’s right for you Are you feeling it?! Your summer happy places with your summer happy snacks! Now all you need is [...]
Building the home life you’re dreaming of as a parent is often easier said than done. You know you want your family to love one another and get along, and you know that you want your home to be a place where your loved ones love to be. But, making all this happen requires hard [...]
Ever feel like you’re the worst parent ever?! Me, too. And, for that matter, so do many of the other parents I know. So, you’re in good company! You and I aren’t really the worst parent ever. But we worry, don’t we?! I know I do. I worry that I’m not playing as much as [...]
You love your family, most days any way. But, you and they have some problems you'd like to fix. Here are some of the common problems I hear from the families I work with: disrespectful attitudes, poor communication, taking each other for granted, lack of teamwork, impossible-to-manage schedules, unforgiveness, and the list goes on and [...]