children

"Is it true what Nietzsche said: "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger?" Research says it's true — to a degree. Psychologist have found that people who encountered a moderate amount of early life adversity showed lower overall distress and higher life satisfaction than people who experienced lots of adversity or no adversity at all (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, in press).

Many of us have it backwards. With our kids, we emphasize talking rather than listening. We believe that good parenting means explaining, reminding, correcting, admonishing, instructing — it's no wonder a lot more words come out of our mouths than theirs. In time, all our gab tends to turn them off. By adolescence, many tune us out.

At the end of each workday, couples face two goals: to unwind from the day's stresses, and to take care of the family's needs. But can a spouse truly unwind when faced with household chores, meal preparation, and (if there are kids at home) the endless demands of child management? When couples are both wage-earners, each needs to recover from the day's stress. But when there's plenty to do after coming through the door, who gets to relax? Who enjoys the leisure that allows the cortisol level to drop?

Mistakes? It's an inevitable part of the learning process — errors on homework, on tests, on the answers kids give when called on in class.

Boredom? Rather than something to be avoided at all costs, try thinking of boredom as the prelude to creativity. When children sit around with nothing particular to do — "Mom, I'm bored!" — and Mom resists the impulse to rescue them, they're challenged to use their imaginations and find ways to creatively pass the time. What better opportunity than summer to exercise this important capacity?

If the thought of the kids sitting ringside when you and your partner go at it leaves you horrified, it's time to brush up on your fair fighting skills.

In this study, participants whose parents had divorced had more negative attitudes toward marriage, more positive attitudes toward divorce, and in general a weaker commitment to marriage than participants whose parents hadn't divorced.

This article will provide a description of problem gambling, its impact on couple and family relationships, and current family based treatment options. The goal is to raise awareness about problem gambling, and provide families with resources if they are concerned about their own or a family member’s gambling behavior.

Research published in the Journal of Developmental Psychology (December, 2009) reveals that kids who spent more time doing household jobs reported greater levels of happiness than kids who spent less.

Researchers have begun to closely consider the developmental consequences of extracurricular activity participation. Converging evidence suggests that adolescents’ participation in extracurricular activities is linked with higher academic achievement as well as other aspects of positive development (Eccles, Barber, Stone, & Hunt, 2003).