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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What happens to a marriage when parents must begin to prepare for an empty nest?
When parents start to prepare to send their son or daughter off to college they are not only helping to ease the transition into college life for their child, but also paving the way for their own next steps… of marriage and an empty nest, that is. But many families aren’t exactly aware of the challenges that arise with big transitions and changes, and therefore they’re not as proactive as they could be.
Sometimes a couple isn’t really clear on the parenting roles that are played with kids in college. When this is the case, it’s easy for parents to be on different pages– and they might not have a solid plan for how they will respond to different crises and critical issues. With a little guidance, however, it can be easy and uplifting for a couple to get back to a positive place; a place where they successfully parent and maintain a long-standing marriage as a team.
Today’s guest is Dr. Susan Orenstein, the director of Orenstein Solutions. Susan says couples can fix these issues by working together to create plans for the expected and the unexpected. An empty nest doesn’t have to be a bad thing… it can, in fact, be just the beginning.
To find out more about Susan and her practice, visit their website or call (919) 968-8586
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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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