Often we hold back from giving feedback to others, even when it’s important to us and to the health of our relationship. Maybe we’re afraid we’ll hurt their feelings even if it's constructive, or we’re afraid of their reaction. Or maybe we think they’ll feel we’re criticizing them. But if we don’t give others feedback, we may hold on to resentment or anger toward them, which can spill over into later communications and even cause distance in our relationship.

You can almost feel it in the air—just a little extra tension to go along with the holiday spirit. Or maybe more than a little. It’s tempting to focus on just getting things done, but if you do that, a couple of weeks from now you may notice your relationship with your spouse becoming a bit frazzled.

Even under the best of circumstances, living your love actively for your spouse every day can be challenging. There’s so much competing for your attention: work, family, chores, errands, and shopping . . . on and on the list goes! It can be hard to hang on to that special love that brought you [...]

Complaining is one way the brain lets off steam, but when done too frequently as a couple, it is disheartening and can become a pattern that diminishes the vitality of a relationship. A couple’s complaints can eclipse their love, corrode joy, and make married couples begin to doubt why they even married each other. If that's you, you're likely feeling unfulfilled in marriage or in a relationship, so keep reading.

An excellent article, "Yep, Life'll Burst That Self-Esteem Bubble,"* eloquently outlined some of the flaws in the self-esteem movement that originated in the '70s and '80s. This topic caught my eye because I work every day with many very sincere and eager parents and observe how the building blocks of self-esteem often elude them.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

As a mom or stepmom, how do you feel most of the time? Blissful? Confident? Successful in your role as mom? Or are you overwhelmed and discouraged? Do you feel like a worried, worn out, and confused parent doubting yourself?

Many parents feel alone as if they are the only ones with problems. The subtle sense of failure and the weight of feeling like … okay I’m going to say it, “a bad mom” is so discouraging. As a parent coach, I often hear, "Am I a bad mom?"

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Are you just "getting by?" Are you going through the motions (and emotions), but not really passionate or excited about your life?

Do you long for:

• more fulfillment and peace?
• a loving, fun and meaningful relationship?
• a balanced life with inner happiness and ease?
• your dream lifestyle?
• a life with more passion and purpose?
• the ability to raise cooperative yet free-thinking children?

If you’re saying to yourself, “Um, YES! You’re reading my mind!" Then, you may want to explore flexing your muscles in emotional intelligence.

In today's hectic world, if we aren’t mindful, it doesn't take long for two people in a loving relationship to unknowingly let outer pressures override quality time together. It’s easy to get caught up in daily demands so much that we can even begin to feel that our partner is the problem, or at least they’re a hassle. And just as easy, is to "fall out of love."

You’re in a grocery store and your 5-year-old wants a candy bar at the checkout stand. You calmly but firmly say no. Before you can turn back to the checkout clerk, your child is on the floor kicking and screaming!

What do you do?Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

A client once said to me, “I feel like I’m bleeding to death from a million tiny cuts.”

As a couple, we can fall into an antagonistic relationship habit without even realizing it, such as continually digging up the past or neglecting to dedicate quality time to the relationship. We begin doing the very things that damage a strong and healthy relationship. Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

One of the biggest misconceptions about creating healthy self-esteem in children is that praise is the priority ingredient in building it. An unintended outcome of praise can actually be to deplete self-esteem. Why? Because too much praise causes children to become dependent on what other people think, instead of focusing on what makes them happy and how they feel about themselves and their actions. Praise promotes pleasing others and relying on others for validation.

So what do you do instead to build self-esteem and help raise confident children?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes