For years, husbands have been stuck with the mantra “happy wife, happy life” because nothing rhymes with husband. The closest anyone has ever come was “happy husband, stuff gets done.” Some have suggested to replace the old, tired, gendered “happy wife, happy life” mantra with the much more postmodern “happy spouse, happy house.” No doubt,
A mother decides to go to the mall with her two-year old toddler. As they walk around the mall, they spot a toy store. Inside the toy store, the toddler spots an item and begins to nag the mother to purchase it. The mother says no. The toddler begins to cry and scream. Still, the
Time outs continue to be a powerful and effective means of motivating children’s compliance through about age 11 or 12. The point of the time-out is to give a child the time and space they need to calm themselves down, regain the ability to think clearly, and then come back to the situation and make
“Blood is thicker than water” is a 15th Century proverb that implies that family relationships are always more important that friends. It was a social norm and everyone understood that, “If you ever need help, don’t ask your friends. Come home and ask us, your family. Blood runs thicker than water.”[1] But does this proverb
Think back to the time you played at a playground. There were many different colours and shapes to stimulate your mind. The wide open spaces compelled you to run around and explore. There were ropes to climb and tunnels to crawl through, to test and train your strength and agility. You were probably not alone
It has been said that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Does it only mean that Jack is bored if he does not get to play, or much more? The eminent play scholar, Joe Frost, in his compelling book, “A History of Childhood Play and Play Environments” (1) tellingly shows that
In The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, Dr. John Gottman lists the six things that predict divorce. This ability to predict divorce is based in part on his analysis of 124 newlywed couples (married less than 6 months) who were observed at the “Love Lab” apartment at the University of Washington. The study involved
A noted speaker, writer, and professor of marriage and family therapy, Dr Paul Faulkner interviewed 30 sets of parents to discover how they raised vibrant families while achieving success at work. At the same time, he researched what makes families strong. This book, Achieving Success Without Failing Your Family–How 30 successful families achieved family excellence (1995), brings
Centre for Fathering-Dads for Life’s (CFF-DFL) “Adventure Camp with Dad” (ACD) is an activity-based programme designed to build trust and communication between father and child, whilst nurturing a sense of adventure. Additionally, as an experiential activity that stretches participants and takes them outside their comfort zones, it offers fathers many opportunities to impart values and life skills
Contemporary dual-income households face many challenges from competing priorities of work, family and busy schedules. Fathers and mothers can benefit from “Shared Parenting Approach” strategies for growing stronger spousal partnerships so that neither feels alone in the parenting journey; and practical tips on building lasting relationships with your children. 1. Set aside time in your
