More and more families use cell phones, iphones or similar, for personal use and business.  
They text intimate messages, post family photos, even place financial information on the most modern of these communication devices. 
Have you considered how truly secure they are?  Even after you think you’ve deleted the information?  Do you know how your activities and that of your family can be tracked through these phones? 
Do your youngsters realize that the information they send over the phone is accessible long after the call or text is made?  One teen I know had her cell phone checked by the police because she and a …read more

When your kids crave the comfort of home, what food do they ask for? Maybe it’s a steaming bowl of your hot chicken macaroni soup. Maybe it’s Dad’s grilled steak and corn. Or it could be Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies. We all crave certain dishes when we’re yearning to be comforted. More often than not, they’re food straight from home.
strong>Memories are associated with comfort food. A bowl of hot and sour soup can conjure images of the times spent at the family home in the province. A basket of blueberry muffins could remind one of the times she and her …read more

Balance is the constant thread through all of my ideas about achieving successful and happy relationships.  Leading a balanced life can help you to feel comfortable, fulfilled, and confident, which can have a positive affect on your relationships with the friends, family, and significant other in your life.  As the slowness of Summer comes to an end I think it’s a good time to evaluate the changes that might be coming this Fall and ask yourself how you are going to maintain balance in your life and your relationships.

Maybe you have a new job, new city, new school, new goals, …read more

Some people operate in a high-stress environment in many aspects of their life.  These are the high-powered business executives with three toddlers and two Labradoodle puppies running around the house.  They pride themselves on being quick and busy all the time.  Then there is the other end where people purposefully choose a life that allows for a low-stress lifestyle.  Even if you feel that your life is completely stress-free and you are uber-calm and collected at all times, there are probably moments where you are experiencing pressure.  These occurrences might be troublesome if you don’t perceive yourself as having stress …read more

There will be times in your life when your friends or family that are closest to you will go through a difficult and possibly unexpected situation.  You will worry about them and want to offer help and support.  I have some advice for helping friends and family through a crisis…
A few months ago my apartment in Brooklyn suddenly burned down.  Luckily I wasn’t in the unit at the time, but I did lose my home and a lot of my belongings.  Obviously the situation could have much worse, but I still see the situation as a small crisis.  I suddenly …read more

You may not be a big American history buff, but you can still appreciate the wonderful cultural tradition that is the Fourth of July.  Holidays like this are a great time for meaningful bonding with friends and family.
I love American holidays for their celebration of families and traditions.  National holidays provide a day off so hopefully there can be that one special day when fathers and mothers get to spend time with their children, and friends and family can travel across long distances to see each other for a special weekend.
If you have are having a Fourth of July celebration, …read more

Sometimes I hear the kids arguing and one of them will use a word or phrase that is not a normal part of their vocabulary. For example, not many 17 year-old boys would say this, “You are the most deceitful person that I have ever met.” Instead they would say something like this, “You are a liar.”

Sometimes people get jealous. They worry that someone is slipping away, that they are losing their influence. They worry that they might be losing the love or complete attention of another person and when this happens, they turn to coercion. They hit on a person’s frailties, on …read more

After six months of living with our family, Greg moved back to his Mom’s house on Sunday.
They arrived when I was making dinner, packed his stuff up, and left. I had no idea he was leaving that day – Bay didn’t say a word. I knew that he was going to leave this Summer, but not when. Later, she told me that they were also broken-up. I’m not sure where they stand now. I don’t want to push her – she will talk to me about it when she feels up to it.
Bailey is doing pretty good. She can’t talk …read more

My youngest recently turned 11. Up to this point, she has been the easiest of my kids. Easy-going, even-tempered, open-minded, up for anything. Up to this point.
These days she’s grumpy. Mean. Closed off to everything. Right now we are in the midst of a sleepover with my niece, the lovely Ashlee, and Sarah is pouting in her room.
I’m not sure what the problem is. It’s either…….no, really I have no idea. We went to the creek, we went to the pool, the girls decorated new notebooks, the fun just keeps on coming, but she’s more interested in a good pout.
As …read more

How do you celebrate Father’s Day in your family?  Do you have fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other men who have taken a father figure role in your life or your children’s lives?

 Do the children make special gifts and cards?
Do you cook favorite foods?
Do you plan special activities for the day?
Do you give Dad the day off to do just as he likes?
Do you take walks with Dad.
Do you go on a family picnic to Dad’s favorite fishing spot?

 Are there family rituals that you associate with Father’s Day in your family?