Remaining calmer longer during conflict is a predictor of a healthy relationship. Any relationship. Specifically though, couples who become hostile quickly during disagreements are more likely to break-up than those who don’t. As you might imagine, quick hostility damages intimacy. It sounds simple, but just choosing to remain calm during an argument can help activate…
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You’ve probably noticed that there are less weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. For some of us that means additional time and money constraints on gift-buying. Not to worry, this blogger has truly cultivated the art of non-monetary gifts that build relationships! Her budget constraints turned out to be a blessing in disguise as…
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On our second day of focusing on gratitude, join OKPTA Cultivate in a gratitude challenge: before you go to bed tonight, tell someone in your life why you are grateful for them. Write a handwritten letter, say it out loud, or just send a gratitude text! It’s easy, quick, free…and it will make someone’s day.…
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Reflecting on the poem above reminds us about how much more critical, less forgiving, and just less loving we can be to ourselves than others. We say things to ourselves that we would never say to friends, and yet our lack of self acceptance can impact our relationships. True long-term change is never motivated through…
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It’s sooo easy to focus on the negative behaviors of our children. When behavior needs correcting, we feel we can’t let it go or else the problem will get worse. When our children are doing things right in our eyes, however, it can feel more optional as to whether or not we acknowledge it. After…
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Did you know that if you care for a young child or you are an early childhood teacher, you can help build the brain architecture of a young child?! All of the things you do with children, before they can even talk, may not seem like a big deal to some, but the work you…
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It is important for us as parents to be in the moment with out kids and to connect with them without any judgement of the situation. According to Dr. Carla Naumburg, a clinical social worker and author of Parenting in the Present Moment: How to Stay Focus on What Really Matters: ” It is not…
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Madame Montessori suggested that children imitate their parents and therefore are highly motivated to work. Your child wants to be just like you, so working together builds not only your relationship, but also confidence and competence. Making things together — cooking, baking, cleaning, washing dishes, setting the table and crafting particular objects with the recipient…
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Instead of becoming a bystander to bullying, youth can become an “upstander” by taking action when they witness bullying occur. Their support can greatly impact their peer who is being bullied. Youth who are supported by upstanders tend to be less anxious and depressed. Upstanders will question the bullying behavior, redirect the conversation, help diffuse…
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In recognition of Mental Illness Awareness Week, the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ (NAMI) WhyCare? campaign is currently raising the awareness on mental health and the importance of treatment services for everyone and anyone affected by mental illness. Mental illness has a ripple effect on individuals, families, communities, and even the entire world. Did you…
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