A couple of weeks ago, I walked downstairs to find my kids had made waffles for breakfast. Our two girls love to cook, but they occasionally forget to clean up after themselves. It only took three seconds for me to assess the mess and go looking for the kids. When I found them, the first…
Our children are getting ready to start school on Monday. Having just moved to Pennsylvania, they are understandably concerned about making new friends. As we have talked about this the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about how we never outgrow the desire to fit in and have friends. Even as adults, we need other…
The other night my husband and I were out to dinner when I became aware of a young, handsome couple sitting nearby. We were waiting for our food when I began to pick up on the tension from their table. The wife kept trying to start a conversation with her husband, but he kept looking…
Who has the Type A personality in your home? Is it you? Your spouse? One of your kids? People with Type A personalities often get a bad rap. That’s because people with Type A personalities are generally more competitive and task oriented. They are driven by schedules and productivity. Sitting around waiting for other…
I want to offer a great big THANK YOU!!! to everyone who took my Reader Survey. I was surprised how many of you responded! Maybe it is the researcher in me, but it was so fun to analyze the results and learn more about YOU and what YOU want. As my audience as grown tremendously…
This week, I need your help. Over the last year, the number of people reading my blog has grown substantially. As I move forward, I want to make sure I am writing about topics and providing content that is helpful and relevant to YOU! But that means I need to know more about you!…
Three-year-old and five-year-old boys drive moving truck into neighbor’s yard barely missing the house. It’s true. Two years ago our boys climbed into the moving truck while we were loading it and knocked the faulty gear shifter out of park and disengaged the emergency brake. There were no keys in the truck and we didn’t…
In his book, Better, writer, surgeon, and researcher Dr. Atul Gwande asked, “What does it take to be good at something in which failure is so easy, so effortless?” I hear this concern from many couples in medical relationships. When I ask physician couples what topics are most pressing and concerning to them, the overwhelming…
You’ve probably heard the term passive aggression, but do you truly understand what it means? Can you accurately spot it in your relationships—or even in yourself? And perhaps most importantly, do you know how to navigate relationships with someone who consistently displays passive-aggressive behavior?
Late one evening, after hours of combing through Quicken and wrestling with the numbers, I found myself sitting at my computer—overwhelmed, exhausted, and defeated. The financial strain of medical school loomed over me like a dark cloud. No matter how carefully I budgeted, the truth was unavoidable: our monthly loan stipend fell far short of…
We often say it’s hard to keep going when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I think it can be even harder when you do see the light—because that’s when the exhaustion catches up with you. For me, this always hits during pregnancy. I’m fine until about 36 weeks.…
There have been several studies examining medical marriages and relationship satisfaction. One study found that most partners or spouses (86.8%) are happy and satisfied in their relationships. Interestingly, the number one predictor of satisfaction wasn’t the physician’s specialty, work hours, or practice setting—it was the amount of time the couple spent together (and awake!) each…