Family

My husband recently shared a sad post on his Facebook page of a dog on death row at the animal shelter named Cornflake. We already have two dogs, but Cornflake looked like he could use a loving home.

"Honey, you can’t post a photo of a mange and scab-covered dog on death row named Cornflake and expect me NOT to go save him! You brought this on yourself."

Spending your first Thanksgiving holiday with your new in-laws? Toss your expectations out the window and get ready to blend in with your in-laws and their "merry" ways. Here are a few etiquette tips to help you put your best foot forward when you are the guest of your new spouse's family during the holidays.

1. Show up with a gift. Your husband might not have a clue that you should never arrive empty handed. A nice hostess gift will go a long way in showing your appreciation for the holiday invitation to dinner.

The lively, bustling holiday season often brings up questions about "how to set healthy boundaries" with family and friends. These questions—and the answers to them—are so important, because solid personal boundaries can create the greatest of holidays. The tips and tools offered below will help you add a lasting glow to your holiday gatherings. As an added benefit, the concepts can also be used to improve interactions with family, friends, and co-workers throughout the year!

My husband and I just celebrated our 13-year wedding anniversary. We met when I was 19 and were married three years later. We have five children and still thoroughly enjoy each other’s company (most days), so I feel fairly confident that I have some good advice to offer.

However, as I sat here analyzing the last 13 years and trying to figure out how we’ve made it this far, it really came down to one thing. Once you’re married it’s time for an Us vs. Them mentality. The Us is always you and your partner but the Them changes moment by moment.

Families living with the proverbial “black hole” child start coping in unhealthy ways. Everyone alters their normal behavior to avoid stress or anxiety, but these behavioral changes make things worse. It’s unintentional, but parents, siblings, friends, and extended family act out psychological roles, and the dynamics are harmful. This is the "dysfunctional family," and these are some common roles:

* Protector: the emotional caregiver who defends the child regardless.

It is a lovely thing when we get to have relationships with loved ones… and that includes the dog! I find it fascinating that the majority of our separation anxiety clients (i.e., those who's dog display's separation anxiety) are either single or just two people in the family. Is this some sort of self-selecting process? Maybe, or perhaps families with kids have a different level of at-home time so the separation anxiety is not as prevalent. It is worthy of research in my opinion.

You’ve moved on. You’ve successfully separated from your ex-spouse, figured out the custody schedule, negotiated the divorce, and now find yourself with a whole new world of social possibilities. If you have done your homework, you have figured out what you did wrong in the last relationship and also figured out what kind of partner you want going forward. You are poised to make all sorts of changes to your family, including blending your children and your new spouse’s children into a fresh family unit. The good news is: Most of these changes can be very positive experiences for you and children.