Tag Archives: discussion

Why Make Decisions Together?

Over the last couple of blogs we’ve looked at predetermining choices for spouses and family. I’m adamant making decisions together is a far better way to go in marriage. Why? Let me give you some reasons. It’s better for your marriage. Each person feels more involved in the choices made. It strengthens your marriage and you learn to take responsibility and learn from your mistakes together. Another reason is the responsibility doesn’t rest on one person. This can be come very stressful for the person responsible for always making the decisions. Of course it also means that if the decision … Continue reading →

Politics…as Usual

I am a reasonably politically aware person—I don’t know everything that is going on, but I do try to peruse the New York Times a few times a week and keep up on local happenings. I’ve been known to attend a rally, vigil, or protest in my day (and “my day” is still continuing, I’ll have you know). As my kids have been growing up, I have included them in political discussions and shared my views and process with them—but I have always expected and intended that they would form political opinions on their own. I am not someone who … Continue reading →

How Do Little Kids Think About All This?

A while back, MJ wrote a blog about her son asking her whose tummy she (MJ) had grown in. I had the same experience very recently, not with my four-year-old but with my seven-year-old. I’m sure I had told her before that I grew inside Grandma Jo, but I am learning the truth that young children may tell their adoption story flawlessly without really understanding it. Children are also self-centered (that’s not a negative judgment, just a developmental stage) and assume others are, or should be, like them. When Meg asked me again, “Whose tummy did you grow in?” and … Continue reading →

Discussing Politics With Your Kids

I have always been a little amazed at how politically-aware my kids are. I was recently watching some old home videos and there was one of my three kids and I—when they were all in elementary and middle school—discussing some pretty sophisticated political happenings of the day. I guess I hadn’t realized we’d been at it so long! It is only a matter of months before my eldest daughter will be of legal age to vote. Fortunately, she’s been raised in a “voting” household where I’ve been very open about discussing local, regional and world events. We’ve even read the … Continue reading →

Is That Subject Open or Closed?

When I was a kid, there were times when subjects or conversational topics would become “closed”–as in, “That’s all I want to hear about this, the subject is closed!” I always vowed that when I became a parent, I was not going to declare conversational subjects off limits. Of course, like many of the things I swore I would never do as a parent, I have caught myself saying that I have said “all I’m going to say” on particular subjects. So, while I may avoid the official declaration, there are times when my kids have had to ask whether … Continue reading →

Provoke Someone Today!

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Did you know that the Bible instructs us to provoke each other? We are to provoke each other to love, that is. Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works.” What do you normally think of when you hear the word “provoke”? I usually picture an argument I have had with another person. There comes a point in a given argument when I make a decision: Do I let the conversation drop and walk away from it, or do I say something to further make my case and incense the other … Continue reading →

Understanding Ourselves: Why We Get Married

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess and she met a handsome prince. Her beauty and goodness captivated him. His strength and kindness impressed her. He rescued her and she loved him, together they rode off into the sunset to live happily, ever after. Thus are most of our fairy tales told in order to delight and entertain our children. These stories are told so often that little girls and boys alike pretend to marry, play the prince or the princess and more. Our dreams of marriage and weddings begin very young and though time may temper that … Continue reading →

The Silent Treatment

Have you ever been on the receiving end of the silent treatment? Have you ever given someone else the silent treatment? Around here, my husband says that you can always tell when I am really angry – because I don’t say anything at all. In fact, he says that my silent treatment is the worst thing that I can do. He’ll know something is wrong, but he has no idea how to approach me when I am that mad. I never realized that I used the silent treatment in that method. I’ve tried to think of the different reasons that … Continue reading →