Is it possible to have a romantic vacation while also making the most of family time?
Perhaps you and your spouse are wanting to take a family vacation. But maybe you’re fearing that your kids with be antsy and bored, and that you and your partner won’t have any time for romance and fun. So what do you do with this dilemma?
Sometimes couples find themselves having completely kid-focused vacations in order to meet the “family togetherness” needs, but they don’t get a chance to pay attention to the marriage during the time off from work and away from home. Or maybe a couple might plan a romantic getaway without the kids because they find it difficult to work on romance with the children around. Either way, someone (…like your child) or something (…like the romance in your marriage) ends up left out of the mix.
According to today’s guest, Erica Blystone– a licensed clinical social worker with Lepage Associates— there are ways to have your cake and eat it too. You, in fact, can go on a family vacation and work on rekindling the romance in your marriage at the same time, and Erica is here to discuss how and give our listeners some pointers.
To find out more about Erica and her practice, visit their website or call (919) 572-0000 to schedule an appointment.
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Are you and your partner on the same team when it comes to parenting?
When two people get married, there are natural stressors that become apparent. When a child enters the picture, and there’s now parenting involved, certain marriage stressors are intensified. Let’s face it– there’s no manual for parenting. And while raising happy, healthy and confident children is the ultimate goal, there’s a lot of pressure that comes with it.
If a couple is frequently arguing about how to parent, much stress is added to the family unit and everyone ends up being miserable. If there’s constant bickering back and forth about logistics, there’s no room to create an atmosphere of warmth and support. Instead, there becomes an antagonistic way of interacting that puts everyone in the family on edge.
Today’s guest is Dr. Gabrielle Johr, a licensed clinical psychologist with Orenstein Solutions. Gabriella says the key to good parenting is team parenting, which means unfailingly supporting one another and bringing out the best in each other. And once the team mentality has been established, both parents become a model for cooperation and parenting becomes a little easier.
To find out more about Gabriella and her practice, visit their website or call (919) 428-2766 to schedule an appointment.
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Is there a way to gain respect from your stepchildren without turning into an evil stepmonster?
We’ve all heard the famous stepmonster horror stories… like that of the workings of Lady Tremaine, Cinderella’s wicked stepmother. And they don’t turn out well… for the stepmoms, that is. Luckily it doesn’t have to be that way in real life. You, in fact, can have wonderful relationships with your stepchildren without overstepping your boundaries but while also maintaining a level of respect and admiration.
In many situations, couples that are married for the second (or even third) time find themselves bringing children into the mix and wondering how to raise and guide the children when there’s more than two parents involved. Oftentimes there are many unrealistic expectations placed on stepfamilies that can lead to a chaotic family life and destruction of the relationship between husband and wife.
Today’s guest is Claudette Chenevert, author of 31 Days to Better Communication for Stepfamilies. Also known as the Stepmom Coach, Claudette is a Master Certified Stepfamily Foundation Coach helping families and stepmoms gain a better understanding of how to manage stepfamily life.
To find out more about Claudette and her work as the Stepmom Coach, visit her website or call (703) 915-2470 for one-on-one coaching.
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