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Parenting

Planning to Grow Your Family – Part 2

By Parenting One Comment

Last week, we shared Part 1 of a two-part series about some of the discussions you and your spouse should be having as you plan to grow your family. We’ll continue the series this week. If you haven’t read Part 1 yet, you can find it here. Here are some of the conversation points we covered last week: You and your spouse should be sharing and negotiating expectations before you have children, if at all possible Likewise, discussions on how to divide responsibilities also need to happen early Discuss how to prioritize one-on-one time with one another, even as your…

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Planning to Grow Your Family – Part 1

By Parenting No Comments

Are you and your spouse expecting a child? What about planning for future children? Either way, it’s going to be important for the two of you to put your heads together and start making plans for the coming changes. Adding children to your family, whether it’s your first child or your fifth, always brings change, and that’s a wonderful thing. But if you and your spouse haven’t discussed the everyday things that will inevitably shift, you need to start communicating as early as you can. Having a plan for how you’ll handle daily obligations and resolve potential conflicts will help…

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Five Practical and Proactive Things You Can Do At Home

By Communication, Marriage, Parenting, Relationships, Self Reflection One Comment

Dear Friends, We want to help you in some small way. Our family of four (including our college-student son who is now home from Chicago) has gone into full social-distancing mode here in Seattle to help “flatten the curve” of COVID-19. Chances are that your family is doing the same. The good news? We’re seeing a lot more of each other than we normally do. The challenge? Well, we’re seeing a lot more of each other than we normally do! So, how do you create a safe, healthy, and happy home in these difficult days? We’ll leave the medical advice…

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How to Cope with a Tenacious Teen

By Communication, Conflict, Parenting 7 Comments

Have you ever felt desperate trying to cope with your tenacious teen? If so, you’re not alone. Teens more than any other age group feel out of control. Deep down, they aren’t quite sure who they are and generally struggle to take possession of their own lives. Achieving a sense of identity is one of the major developmental tasks of a teenager. Somewhere between the ages of twelve and twenty adolescents are forced to choose who they are; a formidable and scary task. Because of this force to make up their minds, they are compelled to control, and can become…

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Becoming a Step Parent: How to Ease into Your New Role

By Communication, Marriage, Parenting 4 Comments

It’s a gift to enter into a family with kids. The children are blessed to have so much love around them, and your heart is in such a great place to want to be a part of their life. You can never have too much love in a family! In some ways, the children will soak up this new relationship with you and will love having another parental figure in their life. However, there is another part to this equation. Change is sometimes a hard thing, especially for children. Children tend to struggle and show resistance when they are confronted…

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