Family

Do your in-laws call constantly? Do they invite themselves over and drop by unannounced? Do they beg you to visit them all the time… especially during the holidays? Do they give frequent unwanted advice about finances or the way you raise your kids? Do they manipulate you with guilt if you don’t do exactly what they think you should? Do they control you with money and gifts? Do they insist that you follow their holiday traditions? Do they gossip behind your back?

You and your spouse have been discussing it, and have come to the conclusion that you are both ready to take the plunge. It’s time to bring an addition into your family—a pet!

Whether it’s just you and your spouse or if you have children, getting a pet should not be a decision that’s made on the spur of the moment. Putting great thought into it, before making any final decisions, will be seriously beneficial to everyone in the long run.

My wife is about to lose her father to cancer and we have relocated nearly 2,000 miles away from home so she can care for him till the end. She is becoming increasingly withdrawn and is trying to convince herself that she is not allowed to cry. Is this healthy in the grieving process and what actions can I take to help?

First, I’d like to commend you for being so supportive of your wife. The fact that you were willing to move so that she could care for her father, in his final months, is truly quite honorable of you. Also, you’re sensitivity in being concerned for how she is dealing with her father’s imminent passing is also quite admirable.

There is no time more sensitive for divorced parents and their children than around the holidays. I’m no stranger to emotionally-charged custody disputes, and the need to negotiate to keep the peace­­–particularly at this time of year, when preventing arguments, hard feelings, or even worse—physical scuffles might come into play.

You have an opportunity to be a great spouse this holiday season. Couples are faced with many decisions this time of year about where and with whom to spend the festivities. This can lead to disagreements which cause tension in the marriage. Here are five tips for making holiday plans as a couple:

1. Don’t ignore your partner’s needs by insisting that he or she spend the holidays the way you want to spend them.

Do you and your spouse always agree about where and with whom to spend the holidays? If not, then you certainly aren’t alone; this is a major source of tension for many couples. What should you do if you want to spend Christmas at your parents’ house, but your spouse wants to spend it with his or her family? The answer to that is a tricky one, but here are a few tips to help you achieve a win-win situation.

1. Make your spouse a priority over your parents. It’s a simple concept, yet a very difficult one for many people to grasp.