Thinking Out Loud

Back To Basics

Recently I posted a piece titled “Appreciation.” I almost didn’t write it because I thought it might be trite—so obvious that readers would be bored. Well, I’m glad I did write it because it brought more enthusiastic response than any other piece posted this past year. Read More

It’s All About Us

We tune into the news to find out what’s going on in the world around us. Even by tuning in all day every day, there is more than anyone can keep up with; in fact, it’s overwhelming. I’ve talked with many people who take a vacation from the news because they have gotten saturated beyond what they consider healthy. Many even use the word addiction. Read More

Appreciation

Many, perhaps most, couples at one time or another, struggle with the division of labor in their household. How does it get decided, who does what? Is it fair? Who is better at what tasks—and what if one person is better at doing most things? What value is given to which tasks? How much time does each devote? I’m sure there are more questions, but that’s plenty to make the point. Read More

Collaborating With Kids

Too often, we try to solve behavior problems our kids are having without actively collaborating with the kids. We tell them what we want them to do and why, and expect compliance because what we want them to do is reasonable (to us). Sometimes this works and we get compliance, but is it really a “durable solution,” as Ross Greene would call it? Read More