Tag Archives: language

Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Lover, or Friend?

Sooner or later, many single parents do start dating again. Once we do, we face several issues, including what do we call the people we date or the person we may become seriously interested in. How do we talk about that person with our children (if we do) and what sort of language is appropriate and fits with our family culture? The age of our children figures in to how we handle and what we call people who we might date. Do we call them “friends”? What happens when our children want to know what the difference is between a … Continue reading →

What Do You Think of the Term “Failed Marriage”?

Recently, I have read a few online articles that referred to divorce as a “failed marriage.” I am sure that I’ve seen and read this term before, but for some reason it just now started to get to me. Perhaps it is because so many years have passed and so much water has swooshed under that bridge that I see all the benefits and blessings and lessons that have come to be both from my marriage and my divorce (not to mention my many years as a single parent.) For me, it doesn’t feel like a failure at all… It … Continue reading →

Come Up with Engaging Names for Things

Boredom can be the downfall of many a small business, as can dullness and lack of pep and excitement—one way to keep things interesting and engaging is to put some thought into what names you give things in your business. Whether it is the pages and section of your web site, your company newsletter or even your products—catchy names and titles can boost your business while dull, typical or boring ones can do just the opposite. Think over some of the newsletters and web sites you have seen lately…would you be more interested in reading something called the “Hope and … Continue reading →

Looking for a Business Name? Make it Simple and Easy to Spell

So, you have made up your mind to start a small home-based business but you are searching for something to call it? Unless you are doing consulting or freelancing or another type of business where you can simply use your own name, you probably want something creative and catchy that represents you and your business aspirations. Whatever name you choose–try to make sure it is simple and easy to spell… There are all sorts of jokes about long-winded business names that are difficult to say and even more challenging to spell. I know of a grocery store here in my … Continue reading →

Watch Using the Term “Dead Beat” in Front of Your Kids

I know that for many single parents, extracting financial support for a child is a major, stressful issue. I also know that the term “dead beat”—usually pertaining to dads, but it doesn’t always have to be—has become entrenched in our popular culture and the language we use when we talk about divorce and single parenting issues. But, do we really want to use the term “dead beat” in front of our child to describe his or her other parent? It’s hard! I know this first hand and even if we understand that we shouldn’t be saying anything negative about our … Continue reading →

Expressing Oneself Means Less Acting Out

I am a big believer in the power of language and communication. I think when we give our children the gift of being able to talk about things and empower them with the communication skills and freedom to express their feelings and opinions, they are less likely to act out with negative behaviors. Kids (and grownups too) who can talk about what is going on in terms of emotional distress or concerns are less likely to need to act out as a coping mechanism. When I say “act out” I am referring to attention-seeking behaviors or aggression or other behavior … Continue reading →

Watch Out for “I think,” “I guess” and “Maybe”

Confidence—we may think we are sending our customers the message that we are confident and competent, but the language we use might be giving us away. Many of us are raised to be humble and NOT “brag” about ourselves or our skills and that is fine—but if we let too much ambiguity creep into our language when talking with customers and prospects, we are sending a message that we don’t know what we are doing. If your sales pitches and interactions with prospects and clients are peppered with phrases like “I think” or “maybe” or even “I suppose” then you … Continue reading →

You Think the Translating Ends Once They Give Up the Baby Talk?

I was chatting with a friend recently who has a young child—she is my age, but her child is preschool age and she was sharing that she is becoming a master at translating her child’s version of the English language. She expressed how great it will be when her kid gets older and she doesn’t have to serve as translator. “Honey,” I said, “Have you tried to talk to a teenager lately?” I used to be cool and hip. As a matter of fact, as an English major specializing in the post-modern and modern era—I used to think I was … Continue reading →

Language and Learning in Adopted Children

Some parents who thought their children were doing very well with speech and language may find themselves unpleasantly surprised as their children begin second grade, when a higher level of language is required. Teachers have often noted poor academic performance among immigrant children graduating from English as a Second Language programs, even though the children appear to converse in English perfectly well. Educators and speech-language clinicians are learning that there are two kinds of language. Many refer to the first type as Communicative Language Fluency. This is the type of language we think of when we say a child can … Continue reading →

Ella Minnow Pea – Mark Dunn

I truly enjoyed “Ella Minnow Pea,” a first novel by playwright Mark Dunn. By the time the book drew to a close, I was astounded and impressed by the ingenuity, cleverness, and humor of this author. Off the coast of South Carolina is a fictional island called Nollop. It was founded by a man named Nevin Nollop who, you will be greatly interested to know, was the inventor of the sentence, “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dogs.” Because of Nollop’s love of language, everyone on the island is very literate, uses a variety of long words to … Continue reading →