Help for Parents Coping with Divorce, Adoption, Teenager and Relationship Issues

Marisue says:  Teaching children, or “allowing children” to tell the truth is a process.  Kids speak from feelings.  Feelings first, facts later.  In parents rush to get the truth, sometimes the kids are bull-dozed over.  Most of the time, when kids feel safe, they will tell what they feel happened.  It may or may not [...]

Why is it important to trust someone? Kid’s may not know. But, they surely know if you’ve disappointed them and therein lies the answer.
Unless we make truth personal, kids will think it’s only important when it applies to someone telling THEM the truth.
First of all, when kids lie, we need to be calm, understanding that [...]

When teens lie, they are normally very good at it.  They are either protecting themselves from a bigger pain, wanting to gain something materially, or embellishing for their image. 
Extracting the truth from teens can be a painful experience. 
The most important thing for parents to remember, when teens tell the big whopper of a lie, is [...]

“Tell the truth!”  “Don’t lie to me!”  “I want the truth and I want it now!” 
Sound familiar?  When kids feel safe, they are more likely to talk about something that happened where they made a mistake, or were hurt. 
When kids have practiced and rehearsed telling the truth, or talking about an experience, they are more [...]

In a Barbie World, truth abounds.  In our world, kids lie, adults lie, teens lie, children lie, parents lie, everyone lies.
After raising over 250 foster children and 3 active boys of my own during the last 20 years, I’ve crashed into a few lies.  It’s been my experience that using the lie word frequently takes [...]

Tip #1:  What is the Truth?
Before “punishing” or consequencing your child for lying, ask yourself “Why did they lie, or say what they said?”  Think about that and list all the reasons you can come up with.  The purpose of this is to direct your thinking beyond the lie.  Many times what we think of as [...]

Marisue says:  ”Being willing to give your significant other some “space” is an important part of a long lasting relationship.  I think it’s a matter of respecting differences, and letting short time away help each person stay in touch with ’self.’  A clinging vine can feel choking.  ’Clocking-in’ and accounting for time away often makes us feel imprisoned.  Let freedom ring, [...]