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The Silence of Relationships

I am beginning to see a disturbing trend in my teens, something that will require diligent effort to change. It is silence. Now you might think that is actually a good thing but it really isn’t…I will explain why. The silence I am talking about is the silence of relationships. Gone are the days of talking on the telephone for hours on end. Friendships have now become more “technologically advanced.” Actually, I think technology hasn’t advanced relationships; it has diminished them in many ways. Let me give you some examples. Take my 12-year-old son whose best friend lives close by. … Continue reading →

Respectful Relationships to Counter Horrifying Statistics?

1 in 3 women have experienced violence in their lives and I out of every 5 women have been a victim of sexual assault, according to the prime minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd. These are horrifying statistics. I have never been in the situation myself of having an abusive husband. But I’ve had friends who have. So I know a little of the physical, mental and emotional scars it leaves behind and how hard it is after having been in that sort of relationship for the woman to trust a man again. And yet, those who have been in abusive … Continue reading →

Don’t Seethe in Silence

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Family life, married life – none of it is perfect and most couples that are married know this. There is the promise of married life when we’re young – an image of the perfect happily ever after. Too often when a young couple, not prepared for the rigors of married life, discover that it’s not a happily ever after unless they put in a lot of effort. Understanding this and accepting it is called being mindful in your acceptance. Your married life isn’t going to be perfect. You and your spouse will argue. Your kids will yell at you. You’ll … Continue reading →

Teen Cliques

An old high school friend recently added me to a Facebook group, in which a reunion is being planned. It has been 25 years since we graduated. So it’s been interesting to look at some of the old faces and read up on how everyone is doing. It is hard to imagine some that have gotten married and had children. I guess it’s because I still see them as they were in their cliques. You know the labels that teens put on each other. Back in my day it was the jocks, preppies, nerds, outcasts and the popular kids. I … Continue reading →

The Good and the Bad of Social Networking

As with almost anything in life, social networking can have its good sides but it can also have its bad sides. Sometimes the decision to allow your teen to engage in social networking will depend on whether or not you think the bad outweighs the good or vice versa. We have to first acknowledge that social media is likely here to stay. It is not a fad that will die out anytime soon. Keeping up with the world is sometimes the only direction to go. In fact in my career as a writer, you usually need to have knowledge of … Continue reading →

Interfering in Children’s Friendship Problems

I don’t know why I do it…but alas it has happened again. It is parental intervention in a friendship problem with my child. For some reason I really struggle with letting my children work it out. I hate to see them hurt or not getting along with someone, so I attempt to patch things up. However that almost always backfires. When my oldest son was in middle school he had a lot of difficulties with his best friend. The problem is that his best friend’s mother is also my very good friend. Needless to say it ended up causing friction … Continue reading →

What I Love about Being Married- Part 2

This continues on from yesterday’s post about what I love about being married. I love that when I have a problem or am trying to work something out, my husband is the first person I turn to. He’s always gives a listening ear and often helpful suggestions. Similarly if he wants to talk something out or has a problem he comes to me, because we are each other’s best friend. I love that there is still physical affection shown between us. I love that when we go to bed at night, we are curled together and I know he’ll still … Continue reading →

Textual Harassment and Teen Dating Violence

Yet again last week Dr. Phil had a show that addresses teen issues. This time it was “End the Silence on Domestic Violence: Teen Dating.” It was during this show that I heard a new phrase, “textual harassment.” I looked it up online and found it to be included in the Urban Dictionary. It simply means to harass someone through text messages. It’s amazing how technology forces us to come up with new terminology. We are definitely living in different times than when I was a teenager. Violence in teen dating is apparently not an uncommon occurrence. It used to … Continue reading →

Making the Most of Moments

I truly believe that no moment in life is too small. Each moment counts and while I often fail to recognize that, I at least strive to. When I do manage to capture those moments, it feels so good. This past Monday I had one of those. I recognized that I had a moment and I needed to make the most of it. It was after a very long day. It was one of those days where you are exhausted from a lack of sleep, you felt pressed to meet deadlines for work, a simple trip to the grocery store … Continue reading →

The Effects of Alcohol on Marriage

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Excess alcohol can cause severe problems in a marriage. Like many people Mick and I enjoy the occasional glass of wine with a meal. Or he might enjoy a beer with his pizza, which is the occasional weekend meal. But that’s where it stops. Even Aussie actress Nicole Kidman was not immune. She recently admitted that her husband’s problems with alcohol had severe consequences for their marriage. It appears they took the step of admitting the problem and getting him into rehab. During that time she claims that they ended up working on the problem and making the relationship stronger. … Continue reading →