Tag Archives: problems

Developing Strategies for Problem Clients

When you open a home – based business, you do not usually envision yourself as encountering problem clients. After all, you do good work and you are a good person, so why would there ever be any trouble. When I went into business for myself as an attorney, I never imagined the types of issues that I would have with some of my clients. I have encountered problems with a small number of writing clients, too, but for some reason those issues have been easier to deal with. If I could start my businesses over again, I would spend more … Continue reading →

Three More Ps in Marriage

Yep, I’m still in the Ps. Here is one positive P, one neutral depending on how you react, and one you definitely don’t want to have in your marriage. Praise Every single person responds to genuine praise. It not only makes a person feel good, it makes them more inclined to do more things that will earn them further praise. Just as good parents praise their children when they do something right, or pleasing and respond appropriately, so we need to praise our spouse. Praise them as often as you can for the thoughtful things they do, for helping out … Continue reading →

Dumping Problems in Your Lap

While I like to think I am a fairly decent problem-solver by nature, I do have my limit. There are days when I feel like all I do all day is solve problems, put out fires, and pick up broken pieces–that might be why I can get short-tempered when I get even more of that in my work world–those times when individuals just seem to want to dump their problems in my lap with a cry of “Fix it!” We know that part of being in business means trying to help people–no matter what sort of business you have, there … Continue reading →

Intervening with Grade School Problems

It may be clear to us as parents when we should step in and advocate for our child when they are younger, but as they get older it can be more challenging. Not only does it become tough for us to tell when we should intervene, but we also have the added pressure of often having a child who does NOT want us to get involved—it can be embarrassing and cause more problems for him with his peer group than it solves. It can feel like a minefield as a parent to know when to step in and intervene and … Continue reading →

Dealing with Invisible Demons and Made-Up Problems

There are plenty of real life dragons for all of us to wrestle with—single parents and partnered parents alike—so many, in fact, that I think it can be a good thing periodically if we ask ourselves if we are wrestling with real issues or if we are clinging to long-gone or invisible demons or are spending our energy working on problems we have actually made up ourselves. I know this might not be a very popular way to look at things, but sometimes we single parents might be clinging to outdated modes of thinking about our lives and/or fighting battles … Continue reading →

Squiggles and Squirms

Yesterday while walking our two dogs, the puppy somehow managed to slip out of her harness. I grabbed hold of her before she got skittled by the cars in the car park. Then my husband proceeded to try and fit the harness back on, while I held her. She hates having her walk interrupted for anything and patience is a virtue she has not yet learned. Instead of sitting quietly she wriggled and fussed and generally made the task far harder than it should have been. It was like trying to tame a wriggling snake covered in fur. ‘For goodness … Continue reading →

We Could Use a Good Troubleshooter

One of my favorite words that have evolved in the past ten years or so is the word “troubleshooter” or its counterpart verb “troubleshoot”—I am sure that it is somehow tied to technological advancements but it has been appropriated into just about every workplace and project that I know of. In my family life, however, I cannot help but think sometimes that what we really need is not a parent or a housekeeper, but a good, qualified, creative troubleshooter! The thing about being the parent is that I do tend to get in a rut—even my problem-solving skills that have … Continue reading →

When Customers and Clients Try to Make Their Problems Yours

There is a difference between great customer service and getting sucked into taking on someone else’s problems. There is a place for good limits and boundaries in business too and just because our clients and customers have problems and “issues” does not mean that we always have to take them on… One of the most common “problems” that customers or clients try to pass on is when they have difficult time management—they delay taking care of something, do not manage their own affairs until they are in crisis, etc. and then they want someone else to come in and bail … Continue reading →

Resist the Urge to Think Things Are NOT Normal

I think we live in a time where just about everything can be considered a “problem”—when it comes to our children’s behaviors, it is hard enough to know what is typical, what they will outgrow, and what we should worry about. Before you panic and assume that things are abnormal, it might be a better idea to assume things are normal—until proven otherwise. Of course, my usual disclaimer is that I am NOT a psychologist or an official parenting expert and most of my philosophies are based on anecdotal experience, but I have found that most things really are normal … Continue reading →

Identifying Whose “Problem” it Is

I do not know about your child or children, but mine can get pretty good at manipulating situations and trying to make their problems and issues seem like they are actually mine. As a parent, it can help us to figure out how to respond to our children if we first identify whose “problem” it is—claiming our part and NOT claiming the stuff that actually belongs to our kids. My sister-in-law has a phrase that she uses with her kids when they are trying to make their issues her problem. She will say: “This sounds like a personal problem”—it is … Continue reading →