Relate Well! Blog

Father’s Day is coming up, which gets us thinking about our own fathers or our own role as a dad. If I asked you to tell me about your father, you might give me a variety of responses. Maybe you weren’t raised by your biological father. Instead, you were raised by your mother, a stepfather, adopted father, or grandfather. Or, your father may have raised you but you didn’t have a good relationship with him. Or as is the case for me, your father passed away and all you have left are memories. Or perhaps you had – and still have – a great relationship with your dad.

Is the Role of a Father Really That Important?

There are those who say that fathers don’t play a significant role in the lives of their children and that, in fact, parents don’t really have the kind of influence we once thought they did. This is not true! Parents play a vital role in the lives of their children, and fathers, in particular, have a profound influence on their...

Living with regret is like walking through life dragging a heavy ball and chain around your ankle – it will do nothing but slow you down. Regrets keep you focused on the past, which robs you of the present and tricks you into believing there is no future.

These 7 keys will help you take another step toward freeing yourself from the weight of regret, beginning to move forward again, and creating real change in your life.

1. Accept the past, no matter how you feel about it. Remind yourself that feeling guilty can’t change what has happened and dwelling on it won’t keep you from making future mistakes.

2. Admit to yourself that you aren’t perfect and that mistakes, even big ones, are a normal part of life. Forgive yourself and move forward. Remember that new successes help fade the memories of past failures.

3. Whenever possible, make reparation, or in other words, do what you can to make it right. If it requires an apology, apologize. Sometimes circumstances...

“Mom, Billy pulled Barbie’s head off again!” “I know you are, but what am I?” “Dad, Jenny looked at me!” Sound familiar? It does if you have more than one child in your home. Sibling rivalry; a common pattern of negative interaction between children of the same family that dates as far back as the Old Testament and the story of Cain and Abel.

Even though it can make you want to scream and pull your hair out, sibling rivalry is normal and can even be constructive if handled properly. Day to day interactions between siblings and parents help children learn important skills such as problem solving and negotiating and how to develop self-control and an attitude of cooperation.

Sibling rivalry is typically an outgrowth of a child’s immature attempts to gain their parent’s love, attention, acceptance and approval. When emotions such as jealousy, envy and frustration are combined with impulsivity and underdeveloped social...

If it’s your job to lead a team of employees or volunteers, it can be a bit unnerving to know that the buck stops on your desk but the group members are the ones who make you successful – or not. Inspiring your team can sometimes be a challenge, but it is a critical component to achieving your goals.  Here are five keys to inspiring your team to do their best.

Create consensus & unity in purpose – People enjoy being part of something good, strong and purposeful. Be sure your team meets together early on as you begin any project so everyone hears the vision at the same time and has the opportunity to discuss ideas and ask questions.  This ensures no team member is going in to their assignment without adequate knowledge of what goal needs to be met or with a “lone ranger” attitude.

Celebrate diversity & unique contribution – The strength of a team lies in the combination of multiple sets of skills, behavioral styles,...