Help for Helicopter Parents: Strategies for Growth and Learning
We love our kids and have a healthy desire to protect them. But that can sometimes morph into an unhealthy need to control every aspect of their lives. And that could rob them of opportunities to develop confidence and strength. Kids need to be challenged. They need opportunities for manageable risk: to problem-solve, advocate for […]
Managing Family Conflict with your Teen
Living with family is not always easy. Living with teenagers can be especially challenging. We find ourselves experiencing hurt, disappointment, and anger, no matter how often we might want to avoid or ignore it. Whether it’s a major life transition, loss, behavioral concern, or just general difference in opinion, unresolved issues can lead to strained […]
Overcoming Anxiety: Tips for the Whole Family
Anxiety is worry — whether about a perceived future or an imagined threat. The word “anxiety” is often used interchangeably with “fear.” But fear is a healthy reaction to a real and present danger. Anxiety, on the other hand, focuses on the future. Ever wrestle with “what if” questions? What if my health fails? What if […]
Tough Love in Adult Relationships Part 2
Last month we outlined what tough love is not and what it is. In short, tough love is not a one-size-fits-all solution. And it’s never done out of punishment, revenge, manipulation, or control. Instead, tough love shows compassion for someone’s brokenness while remembering that enabling is not helping. And it safeguards your own well-being. So, […]
When Your Married Son or Daughter Seems Emotionally Distant
Learning to relate to your adult son or daughter in healthy ways takes wisdom. And for many parents, switching gears from connecting as parent-child to adult-adult isn’t easy. You know you need to let them go, but you don’t want to lose a close relationship. That’s not a bad thing; God designed moms and dads […]
Restoring Relationships with Adult Siblings
My brother, my two sisters and I enjoyed growing up together, watching TV together, playing many board games together, and going to church together. We looked forward to family vacations together, often visiting relatives in other states. Now, I still love all my siblings very much, and my younger sister is one of my closest […]
How to Keep Depression From Negatively Impacting Your Family
It’s the season of thanksgiving and glad tidings! Well … not necessarily. For those struggling with depression, we may know these are important months, but we don’t feel delight. Instead, we see others joyfully baking pies and wrapping presents. The apparent ease of their happiness can be a stinging reminder of how hard we have […]
When Family Secrets Come Out
Struggling with a family secret that just came out? You’re not alone. And no matter the secret, it can be a bombshell. How you choose to process the information can mean the difference between a healed heart and a bitter one. So, what can you do? Let yourself feel. You might feel discomfort, disgust, anger, […]
When Family Secrets Come Out
Struggling with a family secret that just came out? You’re not alone. And no matter the secret, it can be a bombshell. How you choose to process the information can mean the difference between a healed heart and a bitter one. So, what can you do? Let yourself feel. You might feel discomfort, disgust, anger, […]
A Different Christmas
On a chilly December day many years ago, we took our young children to see a living nativity. The nativity included a number of sheep, a donkey, and people dressed as Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. A well-swaddled doll served as a stand-in for baby Jesus, tucked in the manger and surrounded by hay. Our […]
