When your significant other is dealing with considerable stress, these messages of support may just be what they need to see.
A Good Reminder: You Don’t Always Need to Be in Problem Solving Mode
When your significant other talks about a problem, it’s natural to want to come hard and fast with solutions. Resist that urge, as that hunt for a solve often bypasses what the person is likely seeking: understanding. “Psychologically, the best way you can engage with your partner as you listen to them is to truly try and understand what they are feeling in an emotional sense,” says Nancy Lee, a Beverly Hills-based psychologist. “This type of empathetic listening strengthens connections and builds intimacy. That isn’t to say that problem-solving isn’t important, it’s just that you don’t need to jump in and try to ‘fix’ things immediately, which is the tendency of many men,” she says. When a problem is brought up try asking, “Would you like to just vent or would you like to talk about solutions?”
These little reminders go a long way in a relationship. Here are some more small, nice things to remember.
|
|
 |
|
Where’s the road map for new parents? Glad you asked! Fatherhood, by the editors of Fatherly, is a comprehensive parenting guide that walks dads through everything they need to know over the course of the first year of a baby’s life and beyond. It’s full of practical tips (everything you need), as well as work-life balance guidance (this is crucial), relationship advice (doubly crucial!), and as well as tons of expert-driven analysis that will help guide parents through a truly disorienting time. Pre-order it now and get the first copies on November 9.
|
|
|
Want to Raise a Resilient Kid? Admit Your Mistakes — And Work to Fix Them
Parenting mistakes are opportunities for us to turn it around and show kids not only how to respond to errors but also that we all make them. Even the most well-adjusted parents screw up every once in a while. They get mad at the teacher or yell at their spouse or forget to do something critical. The important thing is that you need to own up to your own mistakes, whatever they may be, in front of their kids — and then actually fix the problem. This shows kids that no matter how grave the mistake, if they are honest about it and try to fix it, things will get better.
It’s important to teach kids resilience. Here are a few more lessons you can model.
|
|
|
|
Have a question? Comment? Want to tell us a no-good terrible story? Or a helpful parenting tip? We want to hear from you (and yes, we may publish your response in an article or forthcoming newsletter).
Send your thoughts to [email protected].
|
|
|
|
|
|
