These are four tools that parents can use to help enhance their child’s education. Successful students have parents who are actively involved in their education and this begins in the home. These strategies don’t cost any money; they simply require that parents take an active role in their child’s education.

I’m reading about guilt and in-group behavior, and I can’t help but see parallels to my own life (occupational hazard, I know). I’m going to my best-friend’s wedding next weekend and a mutual friend of ours is walking her down the aisle. He forgot about the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and his travel plans will miss them both. Our bride-to-be is hurt and disappointed, and I feel guilty that I didn’t do more to prevent it. Why? According to recent research, people often feels vicarious emotions such as guilt (or shame) when they are associated with those whose actions have caused offense, even though they are innocent.

I read an interesting article this morning about women’s risk of heart disease and argument style with her husband. More and more long-term interdisciplinary work is being done to see how relationships affect health (either as stressors or buffers). Read some of the findings.

As part of a larger research project I’m working on here, I recently read a great review article in the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage concerning how individuals use social relationships to adjust to life with divorce. The researchers had completed a meta-analysis (a giant research mash up to get a birds-eye-view of all [...]

The ‘tyranny of choice’ implies that the more options one person has, the worse off they may become. Find out how your definition of success may help you navigate through the tyranny of choice.

Have you ever been in a relationship that you know is on the rocks, and yet the idea of breaking up- the crying, the pain, the sense of isolation- seem so horrible that you put off the inevitable as long as possible? Well, new research shows that this delay may be unnecessary: people predict that their distress-level relating to a breakup will be much higher than when it actually happens.

I read a peculiar article online today that said not only should you argue with your spouse, but gave you specific topics to take to the boxing ring. The article purported that issues such as sex, finances, kids and health were all fair game for bickering in order for true growth to occur. Is arguing really the best way to go and explore as a couple?

In case you haven’t heard, researchers at the University of Washington have published a new article in Journal of Pediatrics regarding the effects of television viewing and language development in children under 2 years old. For every hour per day spent watching baby DVDs (such as “Baby Einstein” and “Brainy Baby”), infants eight to sixteen months knew six to eight fewer words than children who didn’t watch. I’m a big fan of science leading the way for parents (and relationships), but sometimes a word of caution is in order. What this study does not show is whether these effects are lasting. The researchers did not find these effects in infants 17- 24 months of age no matter what they watched.

No doubt a baby fundamentally changes the relationship. And at 4AM when the baby is screaming again- and your partner isn’t waking up and it’s not your turn- it’s completely understandable to start reviewing those wedding vows to see where you got scammed. But what’s going on in that scenario besides the fact that you aren’t getting sleep? Your global expectations about “life with baby” are being questioned or even violated now that reality is literally screaming right at you.

Relational disorders have been defined as “persistence and painful patterns of feelings, behaviors, and perceptions involving two or more partners in an important personal relationship.” We already know the relational disorder as “I can’t stop fighting with my parents” or “our marriage just hasn’t been right for years.” While the relational disorder has been a peripheral code of “clinical significance,” it can only be considered unofficially by mental health professionals as ‘relational problems’ contributing to a larger problem. And most (if not all) insurance plans do not cover issues such as marital conflict without some sort of diagnosis. What can be done to change this?

At what point after a divorce do people start dating again? How many relationships are typical? When do kids generally find out about new dating partners? There are several great lay literature sources for divorced parenting, and here are some results from articles that I’ve found…

Think your insomnia just leaves your tired? A new study in the Journal of SLEEP finds that chronic insomnia (the kind that lasts for several weeks or more) may have both short and long term consequences- like depression and anxiety- if left untreated.

I could sum up in a few words Mehl and Pennebaker’s work on gender and daily word use, but hey, it’s a blog! I’m allowed some extra room in electronic conversation. Besides, I’m feeling up for the challenge (via writing- which makes one wonder what would Pennebaker say about that?) and the female stereotype of talkativeness has just been silenced. Sort of.

Recent studies published in Science and Intelligence reveal that firstborns usually develop higher I.Q.’s than their siblings, solving a debate I’ve had for years with my younger sisters about who’s right. Although, I’ve apparently traded some creativity points in the process- much to my chagrin.