So much pressure these days to work harder and longer hours. Meanwhile, the economy continues to ride an unpredictable roller coaster. It's important to pause and look closely at not only how we budget our money but what really, at the end of the day, brings our families pleasure and connection. So often our kids will come up and say, "Mom (or Dad), can I have 5 bucks for this and that?" … [Read more...]
From childhood, we remember intimacy
I was interviewed recently by an Israeli journalist on the topic of childhood memories. Karen Tsuriel's article is reprinted here, in part, with permission: In a conversation from her home in Los Angeles, Dr. Karina Wood said that "most things children remember in their adulthood are not extraordinary events, but mostly the daily simple things that involved love exchanges." "For me, it's the … [Read more...]
Divorce and kids: How to help them
Even if a divorce is amicable and mutually agreed-upon, the children become particularly vulnerable. Seeing their parents break up brings major trauma. All children, somewhere deep inside, wish that everyone would stay together in a perfect world. When that doesn’t happen, there's a shattering that must be addressed. The pieces of valuable lives must put back together with sensitivity and … [Read more...]
Co-parenting through divorce: an upside
These days the courts are filled with couples going through bitter and painful divorces. Who suffers the most? The children, of course. Caught in a web of bitter resentment, hostility and shame created by their parents, children have little or no defenses. They can't protect themselves against the rock that they are shattered -- unable to "choose" one parent over the other. Children love … [Read more...]