Communication and Boundaries in Intimate Relationships (Part 2 of 3)

Senior Couple Relaxing At Home

Last time we reviewed how intimate relationships form and how in the glow of a new relationship habits can form that inhibit the development of good boundaries and effective communication. This time we will look at how to develop good boundaries. Developing good boundaries in an intimate relationship requires being able to stand apart from ourselves and the relationship and see the big picture. We used to call this process. developing the observing ego. This means developing the part of ourselves that isn’t entangled in all of the projection and introjection that we do to protect ourselves … [Read more...]

Communication and Boundaries in Intimate Relationships (Part 1 of 3)

Communication and Boundaries in Intimate Relationships

We fall in love and decide that this is the one! This is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.  It’s wonderful, magical and a truly wonderful time in life.  As we proceed in the relationship the magic continues as we get to know each other better and share more of ourselves with the other.  We find that we have much in common and over time finish each other’s sentences….know each other’s thoughts.  There is often a feeling of merging with the other….we are one. As time passes the pressures of everyday life begin to impinge on the relationship and how we cope with those … [Read more...]

Summer Vacation Planning

Smiling happy family on beach.

Summer vacation is almost upon us, and it is a wonderful time of the year. Time to sleep in for some and time for valuable family time. Whether a vacation is planned or a stay-cation, kids and parents get to play together and create wonderful memories and cement bonds. For some families summer vacation can mean stress. How do I fill the hours? Who will watch the kids while I'm at work? It's important to sit down as a family and discuss these issues. No one person should have to shoulder this responsibility alone. Of course with very young children their participation is limited, but at any … [Read more...]

Squeezed In Between: The Sandwich Generation

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The Sandwich Generation is a phrase coined by Carol Abaya but has gained such common use that it is listed in the dictionary.  It generally refers to those members of society who are raising children and caring for an elderly parent.  For statisticians it often means women between the ages of 45 and 56, although increasingly more men are participating in the process. This is not a new phenomenon; adult children have long cared for aging parents while raising children.  In my own experience, my father’s mother lived with my aunt and her family after her second husband passed away. She was in … [Read more...]