How The Victim Thinker Thinks and Why He Will Never Be Happy
What’s your reaction when someone tells you, “You hurt my feelings”? There could be two possible reactions: You’re going to be either me-focused or other-focused. That is, if you’re me-focused, you’re going to feel irritated, offended, angry, insulted or—this...
I Learned About Friendship—At a Funeral
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish Journal The chapel at the funeral house was large enough; even so, it was packed to overflowing with standing room only. I came because I knew one or two members of the family a short time. I was impressed with the...
The Blame Addiction In Relationships
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish Journal, p. 14 “It’s your fault!” Robbie screamed. “Do you understand what you did? Do you understand what a terrible loss this means?” His screams filled the air with a sick heaviness, a light and bright afternoon...
Teaching Your Child Kindness
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish News They played on the floor, the contented toddlers, surrounded by crushed candy wrappers, smashed candy pieces and other telltale signs of a party. One little one toddled over towards Menachem, and engrossed in his...
Emotional Dissociation And What To Do About It
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish News There was a spate of books some time ago about women who had been severely emotionally abused and sexually molested as children and grew up with “split personalities.” The Three Faces of Eve was even made into a...
Neglected Children on the Playground
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish Journal The boys, about 7 years of age, were racing up the slide and skateboarding down. The lone girl enthusiastically ran up and down with the rest of them. My grandson, whose hand I held tightly, was fascinated by...
Why Cheating Is Not The Solution To A Bad Marriage
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish News She sat there in a puddle of tears and justifiably so. She had had a very hard life, married to a man who mistreated her. Now, at last she was on the brink of freedom as he lay in the hospital in a coma from an...
8 Secrets For Getting Your Defiant Child To Cooperate
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish News “She stands there and sasses me,” the poor young mother cried. “She won’t go to time out. What can I do?” Time out is an effective way to turn behavior in school-age children around, but it must be part of a...
How To Recognize Manipulation
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish News There’s little worse than thinking someone is a manipulator who isn’t, except failing to realize you are being manipulated when you are. We should think well of our fellow and give people the benefit of the...
For Successful Parenting, Tell Your Inner Child to Just Keep Out of This
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION from the Florida Jewish News, p. 15 “I can’t do anything with her,” Mrs. Porter said plaintively, “I am absolutely starting to lose it.” “Starting?” her husband asked with genuine surprise and a roll of the eyeballs. “Listen,” he confided in...