TIPS AND TRICKS

Is There Emotional Distance in Your Relationship? Remember This
A lack of emotional connection is a common issue therapists see. With the push and pull of everyday life sending couples off in a variety of directions, it can be very easy to get lost and have one’s focus shift. Before too long, couples feel as though they’re on completely different wavelengths without any way to reach each other. “This can set the partners on opposite sides,” says Michele Goldman, a psychologist and Hope for Depression Research Foundation Media Advisor, “and can easily lead to folks becoming defensive about their position and feeling unheard by your partner.”

If you sense an emotional distance from different courses, what do you do? Bring it up. It’s important to work together to find the reason for the disconnect and to problem-solve together about what would work to resolve this for both of you. “If you’ve fallen into a rut and feel stagnant in your patterns,” says Goldman, “talk together about how to change it up.” It may sound obvious, but discussing the issue is the only way to find a solution.

Here are some more marriage issues therapists see frequently— and their suggestions for moving past them.

TIPS AND TRICKS

How to Convince a Child to Talk About Their Day
- Start Early – establishing a family tradition of talking about the day builds communications habits in kids.
- Be Patient – A child may resist answering questions. Simply spending some time with a child doing something else can give them the space to open up.
- Be Silly – kids can be disarmed by an off-the-wall question that makes them laugh or gives them a chance to correct their parents.
- Be Sly – Asking for advice on a situation that mirrors the child’s can encourage the child to open up.
- Make it Count – Parents need to really listen to their kids, particularly if the kid is generally taciturn.

This is what to keep in mind about helping a kid open up more.