You rush in the front door, after work, to change clothes, in order to hurry to an HOA meeting that you are running late for. You need to scarf down some dinner and go. Unfortunately, your wife forgot the conversation that you had that morning regarding your tight schedule. She had promised to have something…
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You are cleaning the kitchen after dinner. As you wiping down the countertops, your mate asks, “Why are you using that scrubber to clean the counters?” Immediately, you find yourself in defensive mode, trying to explain, justify, and defend your actions. Maybe, he or she, is just asking out of curiosity, but you are feeling…
DetailsThere are a handful of topics that can easily derail a couple and finances is near the top of the list. Sometimes the issue is most challenging because there is just not enough money to make ends meet. But for many, the bigger issue is disagreement with how best for a couple to manage their…
DetailsI have had many couples in my office wonder this very thing. Why are they in constant conflict? Why do they seem to argue non-stop? Why do they leave for work day after day, angry at their spouse? Why do they disagree about seemingly everything? What happened to this relationship that began with so much…
DetailsDo you remember the first date you had with your spouse? Now I know that in this day and time with long distance internet dating there may be some strange stories out there around first dates. But for most people, the first date was good enough to led to another and then another – then…
DetailsHow often have you felt this way? You say or do something and immediately feels as though your partner jumps down your throat, assuming the worst? For example, your mate has been talking about her desire to shed a few pounds and get back to regular exercising. Her birthday comes along and you buy her…
DetailsOh the things that we stumble onto when we are cleaning out. A couple of weeks ago I was going through some old books when I came across a grocery store coupon that was inside one of them. All I can figure is that at some point in time, when I was reading it, I…
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I love the Progressive commercials with Dr. Rick who tries to keep his clients from becoming their parents. In one commercial he plays a voicemail that someone named Julie left for him. Then he asks the group what Julie did wrong. While they answer with a variety of suggestions, he states that she didn’t even…
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Whether we realized or not, when we married our spouse, we probably went into the marriage with a set of expectations. We most likely weren’t even aware that we did so – that is, until our expectations crashed into each other’s. For example, you may have grown up in a very traditional household where your…
DetailsNow you may read that title and think, “Well, it sure isn’t her,” or “I let him think he is.” The reality is this – most of us don’t like to be told what to do. While we may like to be in control, rarely do we like to be controlled. I sat with a…
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