I used to have a co-worker who had the uncanny ability to light up a room the minute she entered. There was a positive energy in her personality that attracted people to her like hungry birds to a winter feeder. Some people just seem to have an innate ability to connect with others, feeding their […]
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Obviously, finding positive ways to communicate and connect goes a long way toward building a stronger family. Nevertheless, we often take our family relationships for granted and don’t always show each other the respect we deserve or actively seek out ways to build connection with each other. Here are three of my articles that hit
Connecting over Common Conflicts Read More »
Small talk gets a bad rap as painful and a waste of time. For many of us it is the anticipation of having to engage in small talk that causes nervousness and avoidance or a past experience left a bad aftertaste. Must we talk small? Small talk can actually help us form connections in way
Small Talk Shenanigans that Kill Conversation Read More »
(This post originally appeared in my October newsletter. Click here to subscribe.) October may be the month of spooks and ghouls, but are you actually haunted by an energy vampire? What is an energy vampire? Energy vampires are individuals who can drain the life energy right out of you. They may be well-meaning individuals, but
Protect Yourself from the Energy Vampire Read More »
On one of the rare visits we made to my grandparents’ house when I was a little girl, I remember my amazement seeing the collage of phone numbers my grandmother had on her refrigerator. She didn’t bother to use notepaper. She just wrote the numbers directly on the side of her refrigerator to reference. Why
How to Nourish Your Support Network Read More »
Photo courtesy: chawalitpix They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, but have you ever thought about how the dining room table is the family communication power center? That is, unless your family’s dining room table is treated more like a pit stop in a bus station with family coming and going as
The Family Power Center Read More »
Photo courtesy of Idea Go. One of my challenges as a mother of boys is getting them to open up and talk to me about, you know…stuff. I know what you’re thinking: You’re such a girl. Honestly though, my intentions are good and maybe a bit protective. Through discussion, I want to be able to
Getting Boys to Open Up Read More »
As you send your children off to school this week or in the coming weeks, don’t forget to affirm who they are as individuals. Remind them of the parts of their character that you admire. Perhaps it’s her empathy for someone who was bullied or his kindness when helping his brother up from a fall
Affirming Character Read More »
Source: DigitalartSchool starts this week and in the midst of labeling a bag-full of school supplies, I’m making lists, checking them twice, and updating my calendar. Ah, organization. It’s something I find myself constantly striving for. As I mentioned in an earlier post, physical clutter can really clutter the mind. Organizing my clutter (and my
Is it Possible to Control the Chaos? Read More »
“Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.” Roger de Rabutin After you get used to your spouse traveling frequently for work, it’s easy to get into a rut and get caught up in the day-to-day craziness and activities of parenting alone. In my humble opinion,
Loving Your Road Warrior: Connecting from Afar Read More »