The daddy/daughter dances. The skinned knees and kissed boo-boos. Watching recitals, cheering at games, drying tears after first break-ups. Dads, we know you love your daughter. And you know you love your daughter. But there’s something you might not know: just how much your daughter needs to hear it! In the research with teens and preteens for For Parents Only, I found that these several key phrases have a lot more impact on the heart of a girl than you might think.... Read more
We all want happy marriages. You want to love hanging out with your husband every day. But for that to happen, you need to completely change how you speak about him every day —not just to him but to others. Read more
The movie Lily’s husband had picked out for them to watch made her hoot with laughter—for all the wrong reasons. She jokingly critiqued the bad script, the bad acting, and the lame special effects throughout. “Well that was a real five-star selection!” she smirked as they cut off the ending credits. Nick shrugged sheepishly and said, “All right then, next week the choice is on you—and you’d better like it!” Humor can be a sign and expression of intimacy in... Read more
So men, here’s the key that will unlock the door to your wife’s confidence and security: pursue the lifelong practice of studying your beloved, then put what you learn to work. Read more
Most of us think that letting a little steam out of the kettle now prevents it from exploding later, right? And taking a few minutes to vent just feels quite satisfying when we have steam pouring out of our ears. As it turns out, though, doing this actually hurts instead of helps. Read more
We value freedom, but in our research with teens we discovered that it is far more than just a “value.” At this stage of their lives, it is THE value. In fact, it is so motivating, so powerful, that to many teens it becomes like a drug — one that they are even willing to lie to their parents to keep. Read more
There are definite reasons wives keep checking in on the state of their marriage relationship and guys, it’s important to be aware of what might be triggering your wife and her insecurity. Read more
Do you have a teen or pre-teen daughter at home? Ever gotten frustrated at her “drama queen” episodes? I’ve had so many moms and dads ask me what to do in those situations since, they say, they don’t want to be manipulated, enabling, or escalate an already bad trend. Read more
Normally around Valentine’s Day, I encourage you to tell your special someone why you love them. Today, I want to share examples of why I love YOU, my readers. And just so you know: there’s a reason I’m doing this, beyond just a way to say thank you! As I’ve done the various research studies, I’ve seen that ALL of us need encouragement to keep doing the routine, good things that make relationships better. That make life better. We usually... Read more
In more than a decade of research with thousands of men and boys over the years, one thing has stood out: the power of a mom’s words can build up her son or (accidentally) tear him down. Read more
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