Family

It can be difficult to handle overbearing parents at times. Overbearing parents tend to be very protective of their children and never want to leave them alone to walk a specific path in life. Overbearing parents always want to be…
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The annual family reunion is a longstanding tradition in some families. Other families might be more sporadic in their efforts to gather the clan, or the clan is not large enough to warrant a formal reunion. Nevertheless, family reunions are…
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Parenting can be one of the great joys in life, and for many people it represents the most important aspect of the human existence.  The memories that a family can build combined with the legacy of passing on knowledge can…
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Unfortunately, there are a high number of teenagers who run away from home.  This leads to a lot of stress for families, and can easily tear families apart (although many of these families are already damaged to begin with). But why…
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Spats are commonplace with siblings. Sibling rivalry is a normal part of growing up. Even though it can be frustrating for parents, it can actually be quite healthy for siblings to fight, providing it doesn’t get out of hand. In…
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In an ideal world, every child would have two parents, a Mom and a Dad. Children need both the masculine and feminine traits of their parents when they are growing up. Fathers can provide that essential covering for their daughters…
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Guilt is a familiar feeling in the world of care giving. Whenever a situation evolves where one person is dependent on another to have needs met, guilt might invade the relationship, on the part of both the caregiver and the…
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The beauty of America is that it is a cultural melting pot. For centuries, Americans have welcomed foreigners with open arms to enter the country and live in a democratic and free country. That being said, at times cultural differences…
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Why would your sister bring her dog for a week’s stay without giving you any warning or asking permission? Probably because she, like many people, thinks animals are people too. Just look at these statistics on just how much people…
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As long as parents are healthy, functioning members of society, a child’s greatest responsibility is to himself and his immediate family. When an adult child realizes his ambitions and succeeds in his endeavors, he is fulfilling his parent’s dreams as…
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Conscientious families are generally concerned about all of the problems prevalent in society, but the most disconcerting are apt to be the issues that impact them the most, either directly, or indirectly. Economy At the top of the list of…
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It can be difficult to spot the classic signs of controlling in a relationship, especially when the person doing the controlling is someone you love. Many people in miserable, controlling relationships eventually have a moment of clarity and ask themselves…
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Deteriorating health, malnutrition, lack of shelter, fear, depression, senility, isolation, boredom, non-productivity, and financial incapacity are the most common problems that senior citizens all over the world face today. These problems can be grouped into two categories that relate to…
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Everybody wants to feel, at least partly, in control.  There is a difference between having control (this can be self-control or in control of emotions or a number of things), and being controlling.  Some people are very good at being…
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Often it is difficult to trace female relatives because of lack of a maiden name.  Women were generally not allowed to own property so the land they inherited was in their husband’s name or that of a male relative. In…
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The term “sibling rivalry” can be attributed to psychiatrist David Levy as far back as 1941. This behavior has been going on since there have been families and children, but David Levy put a name to the behavior. There are a lot…
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One of the most devastating issues for the elderly is fear of losing their independence. The fear is magnified when they begin to experience the inevitable limitations imposed by physical frailty. Compromised hearing and sight might inhibit their ability to…
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There are serious consequences for lying.  Every child is taught this at a very young age.  Every adult should already know.  What happens when we lie or keep secrets within a family unit?  Given that everyone knows that lying is…
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The Christmas season is a wonderful time of year for many people. There is an excitement in the air as people engage in holiday activities. From gift shopping to hosting and attending parties, Christmas can be a very busy time…
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The idea of caring for the elderly is sometimes confused by the notion that parents and children eventually change places and that every adult-child is potentially faced with the task of parenting an elderly mother or father. This mindset predisposes the caregiver…
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You are in a state of despair when as a new bride you suddenly realize that you unknowingly married into a dysfunctional family. For example, you have a rude awakening when your mother-in-law takes you aside and says to you,…
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Kindness is the greatest single contribution to building the best possible outcome in in-law relationships. Kindness is never the wrong thing to do, even if or when misunderstandings develop. “Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people,…
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If your family is originally from the UK, and you have ancestors who fought in the First World War, then you have a mine of information and records available to you. The fascination with this conflict is reflected in the…
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When tracing family history the problem often arises of a “missing marriage”. This is generally the problem of knowing that two people were married, living in the same household etc. but not being able to find a marriage record for…
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Most guests try to be considerate and pick up after themselves, but occasionally you may have a visitor who is “messy” by your standards. Everyone does not have the same standard of cleanliness. What to you is a mess might…
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What might you be doing to your child?  Neglect can shape a person, but consider the opposite parenting choice, over-protectiveness.  There are many ways that excessive attention can damage a child’s psyche during development. As with neglect, a recent study…
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When a family cannot function well enough to benefit its members, who owns the problem?  When a family turns toxic, whose responsibility is it to take action? The members of a malfunctioning family system generally blame each other.  If someone…
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It took a man and a woman to create the child, making them the mother and father.  Therefore, the child needs a mother and a father to raise him/her.  It is very important for the child to have both parents in…
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The mother-infant bond is of great importance since, for the infant, it is literally a matter of life or death in its primary course of life and later it determines the stability (or instability) of its life. According to Mary…
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Competing for the time and attention of their parents is the way many sibling rivalries develop. There can be elements of jealousy, resentment and anxiety due to perceptions of how parental fairness is doled out among the siblings. Often, the…
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