Search Results for: blog the silent treatment

Five on Nagging – Stop Today

Some days it feels like the only way to get things done is to chase after the daughter and nag her or chase after the husband and nag him. As much as I hate being a nag, I know I’ve been one. Occasionally (really, really rarely) my husband thanks me for nagging because it keeps him on target and doesn’t let him get away with ignoring things to get done. That said, he doesn’t really like it when I nag and I don’t like nagging. We’ve worked out a lot of little ways we can communicate without the constant nagging … Continue reading →

Of Rats and Men

Oh, you noticed the change in the title, have you? There is a good reason for that. Here are the continuing adventures of our battle of wits with the rodent who threatened our home and our sanity. If you missed the earlier article, you can read it here: Of Mice and Men The scratching started up again, and with a sigh, my husband, at my prompting got to banging. I coached him on technique and frequency. When the mouse fell silent, we would retreat back to the couch to wait. Then the noise would start up again. At one point … Continue reading →

What Have I Done to My Marriage? – Part Three, Salvation Strategies

Yesterday I wrote what turned into Parts One and Two of the “What Have I Done to My Marriage” mini-series. Where I left off in the saga was how Wayne and I weren’t even on speaking terms this past weekend. In our years together we’ve had our moments of silent treatments, but they usually remain just that –moments. Saturday morning we went a few hours giving each other the silent treatment, and then again that night and into Sunday morning. That’s highly unusual. Fear and Doubt Sets In Sunday morning I woke up frantic, unable to push the following thoughts … Continue reading →

Looking after your Mental Health over Christmas

The holiday period can be a stressful time as families get together and old grievances move from festering mode into an outright screaming match. So how can you make this Christmas a better one in terms of your mental health? The key is to Be Prepared! If you have a history of unhappy Christmases with your family, the first option to consider is whether to see your birth family at all. Where considerable damage has been wreaked by a parent on a child, or by one sibling on another, and there is no hope of change, it can be preferable … Continue reading →

A Celebrity Mom’s Potential Best Seller

Here’s a book I doubt we’ll be seeing on the best-seller’s list. Then again… It may be a challenge for Lynne Spears to convince others to buy her new parenting book given her (most) famous daughter’s current situation. Britney’s mom is not lacking for juicy material for her new personal tell-all of raising two famous daughters. However, for whatever reason, Spears is not marketing her new book as such. Rather, the mom to 26-year-old Britney and remarkably “normal” (or perhaps she just appears this way in comparison to her messed up sister) 16-year-old actress Jamie Lynn teamed up with a … Continue reading →

“Don’t Guilt Trip Me!”

Okay, who among us hasn’t been on the receiving end of a guilt trip? Whether it is the silent treatment or a cold shoulder or someone stepping in and doing something because we didn’t get it done “on time” or the way they wanted? It can happen amongst family, friends, and at work and when it comes to our own parenting, it is a sure fire way to create a division and conflict between ourselves and our child. I am not an intentional guilt-tripper, but occasionally I do lapse into it (and I’m not even sure why—I guess that is … Continue reading →

Destructive Behavior

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Do you live with resentment and grudges? Are they a third party at your table for two? The problem with this type of third party is that they are an elephant in the room or they take up two spaces at your table and they can leave you chomping at the bit, ready to wreak havoc on your spouse whether they genuinely deserve it or not. Crime and Punishment When you carry around a suitcase full of grudges, packed tightly with resentment, you may find yourself eyeing every activity your spouse does with a harsh eye of judgment. That harsh … Continue reading →

Obsessive – Compulsive Disorder: Diagnostic Criteria

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This article follows on from previous discussions of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Large epidemiological studies of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) rate the prevalence of the condition at roughly 2.6% of the population. Like most anxiety disorders, OCD varies in intensity both from person to person, as well as over time. Hence a single individual may experience a waxing and waning of the condition over a lifetime, with periods of increased stress usually resulting in an increase in obsessive-compulsive activities. The DSM-IV-TR diagnostic guidelines require that a person satisfy all of the following criteria for an accurate diagnosis of this condition: A. Obsessions are … Continue reading →

Creating a Positive Home Environment

Respect and admiration. In order for parents to have a good relationship with their children there must be mutual respect and admiration present, according to Dr. Jerry Day. We should always strive to remain positive with our kids. With the amount of negativity kids encounter daily, our homes should be a safe haven. One filled with positive interactions. We spend a lot of time admonishing kids for things they did wrong and often overlook the good things they are doing. We don’t catch them being good nearly as much as we should. And there are many opportunities to recognize the … Continue reading →

Sounder (2003)

This Disney release is based on William H. Armstrong’s novel by the same name and takes place in the south during the Depression. Our main character is Boy, the oldest son of a family descended from slaves. Even though the Civil War has been over for a while, the racism and bigotry are as strong as ever, and it’s hard for this family to get a decent meal, let alone a large-enough house or a good job. Scrambling for every single thing they get, they make ends meet, somehow. One day, Boy’s father comes home with a hunting dog found … Continue reading →