by Tara Pringle Jefferson The more I chose to focus on the positives, the better my marriage becomes. The more I chose to listen to my husband, the more he tends to open up and let me in to his innermost thoughts. The more I ask for help in keeping the house clean, the more my husband takes the initiative to tackle chores on his own. The more I show gratitude for … [Read more...]
How Much Time Are You Giving Your Marriage?
by Tara Pringle Jefferson Somehow, when I first got married, I mistakenly thought that since we lived together, we get more than enough quality time without even trying. However, as I'm sure you have figured out, that isn't always the case. It can be hard to simply find time for each other. Even though we live in the same house and see each other every single day, there … [Read more...]
Sometimes Mistakes Make The Magic
by Tara Pringle Jefferson My fourth wedding anniversary is in three days (woo hoo!) and I can't help but notice that as our relationship has matured, our disagreements (and the aftermath) have become so much more pleasant. Everything is much calmer, and I feel like we've turned a corner. We've learned how to give each other the love we desire, in the love language the other … [Read more...]
What’s On Your “I’m Grateful” List?
by Tara Pringle Jefferson A few months ago, I found myself in a bit of a slump. It started when I was laid off. At first, things were good because my kids didn't immediately come out of daycare. I had a couple weeks to figure out my next move. But then the kids came out of daycare. I received my last severance check. And suddenly it felt like I was on my … [Read more...]
A Little Appreciation Goes A Long Way
by Tara Pringle Jefferson Let me start with a bit of a story: This past weekend, my husband spent most of the day painting our bedroom. We moved in two years ago and picked the house because it was move-in ready. But the neutral brown color of our bedroom made me feel like I was sleeping in a cave and I hated it. But life happens and I was busy and didn't want to paint while … [Read more...]
How Many Weddings Have You Been To Lately?
by Tara Pringle Jefferson In the summer/fall of 2007, my husband and I went to weddings almost every weekend. Weddings were (and still are) one of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday afternoon/evening. There's the beauty of the wedding itself, with the decorations, color-coordinated bridesmaids dresses and the predictably cute flower girl and ring bearer. My personal … [Read more...]
New Study: How Has Technology Changed Your Family?
A new study by the Barna Group took an in-depth look how technology is changing the way we communicate, and what the impact is on our families. They released a short version of the study here, which came away with the following conclusions: 1. Parents are just as dependent on technology as are teens and tweens. Most people assume that teenagers are driving the technology … [Read more...]
How Soon Do We Push Our Kids?
by Tara Pringle Jefferson If I say so myself, I've got two pretty smart kids. My daughter just went for her kindergarten assessment and at barely 4.5 years old, scored better than some of the five-year-olds (who are about to be six). The headmaster of the school called and said that many 4-year-olds are not ready to handle kindergarten but my daughter had an excellent … [Read more...]
Four Marriage Lessons From Oprah’s Last Show
by Tara Pringle Jefferson Following the two-day star-studded farewell spectacular that took place at the United Center, Oprah and her team decided on a measured, inspiring hour that tried to encapsulate all that Oprah has learned in her 25 years of doing the show. She stood tall and regal in her pink dress (I seriously want to know the designer) and spoke carefully, … [Read more...]
Census Bureau Reports Divorce Rates Have Fallen Since 1996
A new Census report examines Americans martial patterns and trends and one nugget stood out from the rest - the divorce rate is falling. Yes, really. From the article: A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau finds divorce rates for most age groups have been dropping since 1996 by an average of about 5 percentage points. One reason that fewer couples landed in divorce … [Read more...]
I’m Glad I Chose You
by Tara Pringle Jefferson Things have been difficult in the Jefferson household lately, as my transition to being a work-at-home mom after a layoff hasn't gone as well as I'd like. I'm constantly stressed about money, my inability to keep the house clean, and whether or not I'm spending enough time with my kids as I try to manage my workload. Every day, when my husband … [Read more...]
Three Easy Approaches To Conflict Resolution
by Tara Pringle Jefferson Isn't it funny how it's human nature to think our way is the only way and the best way to solve a problem? It's incredible to me that I still, after a few years of marriage, have to take a second to pivot from, "Dude, I'm telling you, I know how to fix it," to "Okay, how are WE going to solve this?" I've read tons of books about compromise, … [Read more...]
Should You Run Your Marriage Like A Business?
by Tara Pringle Jefferson Since I got laid off late last year, things have been kind of hectic at my house. We're trying to adjust to a new routine, a decrease in income, the start-up of my freelancing business and new career aspirations. I've felt incredibly unorganized, scrambling to make sense of every new day, and my husband has been drowning in work as well. Last … [Read more...]
Why Mother’s Day Shouldn’t Be A Big Deal To Moms
By Tara Pringle Jefferson I was doing my usual morning browse through my friend's Facebook statuses and I found a Mother's Day post written by a stay-at-home mom friend. She wrote that while she celebrates the day, it isn't that big of a deal to her because she feels loved and appreciated every single day. She detailed how her kids give her foot rubs for no reason, they … [Read more...]
At What Age Do You Begin “The Talk”?
by Tara Pringle Jefferson Last week, I was minding my business, working on a project, when my 4-year-old came up to me and asked a simple question. "How did I get in my belly when you were pregnant with me?" Translation: Where do babies come from? I was not ready. I'm one of those moms who would tell anyone who listened that I was going to tell my kids the truth - none … [Read more...]