Tag Archives: body language

On the Same Wave Length

Are you on the same wave length as your spouse? Can you read the signs and body language without them saying too much? Yesterday we had such a situation. In the early afternoon I went out to my husband in the garden and said, ‘What are you going to do this afternoon?‘ He mentioned a few things that needed doing and asked me what I planned to do. I also mentioned a few things I needed to get to. The trouble was it was such a beautiful sunny day I didn’t feel like being stuck inside doing them. However I … Continue reading →

Part 2 of Top Tips for Communicating Effectively

Today I am continuing the tips for communicating effectively which I started yesterday. 7. Pick the right time One I mentioned the other day was about picking the right time. Not when your spouse is doing something else. We did have that conversation when Mick raised it the next day so he had heard it, and he was his usual encouraging and supportive self. Although sometimes driving on the car can work if you’re not in traffic and needing to concentrate a lot. It often works well with children and teenagers too, so long as they’re not the ones driving. … Continue reading →

Why Does My Cat’s Tail Quiver?

It can be something of a mystery — trying to translate a pet’s body language. I’ve always been more of a dog person than a cat person, so sometimes behaviors I see at the cats-only boarding facility throw me for a loop. Most cats don’t wag — at least, not like dogs do, to signal happiness. I’ve never seen one do it, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t feline waggers out there, right? (If you have a kitty who wags his or her tail like a dog, let me know! Send me a video!) Lately, I’ve seen a few different … Continue reading →

What Stops You from Talking to Someone

What stops you from talking to someone at church, a party of some other social gathering? We’ve been looking at this question in the forum recently. I had two incidents recently, where I tried to be friendly and the other person shut the conversation effectively down by their one word or terse answer. In each case I ended up feeling foolish for even trying to be friendly and initiate conversation. One was a complete stranger I tried to talk to at a party. Her sharp reply and the look she gave me made me fee like a bug under her … Continue reading →

Trying to Connect With Your Child? Consider Sitting on the Floor

I know that many of us were taught that with little children (babies and preschoolers) we should get down “on their level” to interact with them. But, there is no reason this fine technique should go away as our children hit elementary age. I think that any time we can put ourselves in a more accessible physical position, it can open up the lines of connection and communication with our child. As example, I have found that when my teens are having a hard time, and they obviously need to talk to someone but are not warming to talking to … Continue reading →

Help Your Child to NOT Look Like a Victim

We teach our children not to talk to strangers and about various aspects of stranger safety and awareness, but we might not know that we can coach our children to physically appear more “together” and less likely to be a victim. I am not talking about harping and harassing a child to “look tough”—but there are things that we can do as parents to help our children learn how to NOT appear like a victim. Years ago, when my younger sister was in college, she took a self-defense class geared toward young women. She learned a great deal about how … Continue reading →

How’s Your Poker Face?

There are plenty of times when a warm, friendly smile and a gregarious handshake is just what your business needs. At other times, perhaps when you are discussing money or negotiating, when what you need is a successful “poker face.” The trick to a good business poker face is to maintain a pleasant demeanor, while being as neutral and calm as possible. It is important to neither grimace or smile–or really make any kind of face at all. This includes little things like tightening your neck or raising your eyebrows. Keep your face relaxed and neutral. It is important not … Continue reading →

Parents Watch The Non-verbal Messages You Send Your Kids

By now everyone has heard about Alec Baldwin’s tirade to his 11-year-old daughter, Ireland. We know that that he left an angry voicemail message verbally abusing her by calling her a “thoughtless, little pig” and more. All because she wasn’t available at the time of a scheduled call on April 11. You may have also heard that he partly blames parental alienation by his ex Kim Basinger for his behavior. There’s never an excuse for verbally abusing a child. What parents have to remember though is that sometimes our non-verbal gestures are just as damaging to a young child’s psyche. … Continue reading →

Training: Body Language Matters

My dog Moose was surrendered to a shelter because he was “too stubborn”. This says to me that maybe his family didn’t take enough time in training him, but then stubbornness is a stupid reason to dump a dog into a shelter, if you ask me. I’ll admit, Moose is not the brightest dog in the bunch. It’s taken me a while (we just had our three year anniversary together last month) to learn what works and what doesn’t if I want Mr. Moose to listen. Obedience training needs three things from you to line up: your tone of voice, … Continue reading →

The Five Things You Don’t Want in Your Marriage (Part I)

The following is a list of the 5 things you may want to subtract from your marriage if you find out that you are doing them. Share this list with your spouse. We printed it out and put it on our fridge for a week. It helps to give us a gentle reminder. Rolling Your Eyes Regularly Putting Your Kids Before Your Husband Walking Away in Harsh Silence Who Needs Fashion Attitude The Public Put Down Of these 5 things you don’t want in your marriage. You want to get rid of them if you find out you have them. … Continue reading →