You’re in love — deeply, passionately, crazy in love. You want to move in together. You are sure you want to share the rest of your lives. You want to marry. Stop! Before you reserve the moving truck or buy the ring, take time to discuss the issues that can make or break your relationship. [...]
The Relationship Dynamics of Male vs. Female Friendships
March 16, 2013 | Posted by
Female friendships are notoriously intense. They can be as passionate as the most all-consuming love affair, as close as a family bond, as supportive as the best therapist, but as toxic as the worst poison. Katie Couric’s talk show this week featured an episode on the life-sustaining power of female friendship. Ask a woman, including [...]
Touch: The First Language of Love
March 15, 2013 | Posted by
Touch is the first sense we acquire and the secret weapon in many a successful relationship. Here’s how to regain fluency in your first language. You’re in a crowded subway car on a Tuesday morning, or perhaps on a city bus. Still-sleepy commuters, lulled by vibrations, remain hushed, yet silently broadcast their thoughts. A toddler [...]
Is Hidden Hostility Harming Your Relationship?
February 18, 2013 | Posted by
You sense that your husband is harboring feelings of anger at you, but you don’t know what is motivating his hostility. You’ve tried asking him if he is angry, but his standard response is to deny such feelings, then continue to withdraw and sulk. You know the routine, because you’ve been down this road countless times before. [...]
What Does ‘Feeling Loved’ Mean to Your Partner? Here’s How to Find Out
February 12, 2013 | Posted by
Valentine’s Day is approaching, and love is in the air. But did you know that love means different things to different people? When Don says, “I love you,” he may be thinking about how hot the sex is. When Marcia hears these words, she may think, “Wow! He’s committed to me.” In a dating relationship, it’s super important to unearth secret [...]
Nagging: One Major Relationship-Killer Habit to Leave In the Old Year
December 30, 2012 | Posted by
Ken Mac Dougall bit into the sandwich his wife had packed him for lunch and noticed something odd—a Post-it note tucked between the ham and the cheese. He pulled it out of his mouth, smoothed the crinkles and read what his wife had written: “Be in aisle 10 of Home Depot tonight at 6 p.m.” [...]
Bad Communication Habits Can Disrupt, Even Breakup
December 18, 2012 | Posted by
Studies show that a lack of communication is the number one reason couples break up or get divorced. Nagging is a major culprit — relentless reminders, suggestions and advice on how, when and why we should do things. But what are some of the other bad communication habits that erode away at couples? 1. Being [...]
Tweeters Share Ways to Help Kids Express Their Feelings
December 5, 2012 | Posted by
Feelings are meant to be shared and emotions are meant to be recognized. Children are in the process of learning how to express those feelings and each child does so differently. The important thing is that they do and that they are heard. At a recent Mom It Forward Twitter #gno party, sponsored by Daniel [...]
Resolving the Inevitable Conflicts in Relationships
December 2, 2012 | Posted by
No two people can agree on everything, but disagreements or arguments in your relationship don’t have to end with one or both of you angry or in tears. Here are some suggestions to make the bumps in your relationship a little less difficult: Create a code word Very rarely when communication goes awry do both [...]
How Guys Can Be Less ‘Creepy’ to Women
November 9, 2012 | Posted by
I’ve been following a lot of the conversations in various circles about creeps, both online and in various communities I move through, and I’m really glad that this topic is getting more traction. I know that it’s a tough thing to bring up, for a variety of reasons, but until something gets brought into the [...]
