Articles

Dec 5, 2019
2 min

Going home for break

Q: How do I prepare myself to spend Christmas break with my parents? The scene is set; the house is decorated for Christmas just as it...

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Gary Oliver

Oct 23, 2019
2 min

Unannounced Visits

Question My mother-in-law comes to our house unannounced several times a week. After several conversations and many months, I was finally...

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Gary Oliver

Mar 11, 2019
2 min

Building Trust

Question I recently married a widow who has 8 and 10-year-old daughters. My wife has acknowledged that because of their fathers’ death...

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Gary Oliver

Dec 1, 2018
3 min

Shy Child

Question Our 10-year-old daughter is painfully shy around others. She’s quiet but still a lot of fun at home with us and her two younger...

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Gary Oliver

Aug 23, 2018
3 min

Grandparents and Rules

Question My kids (ages 5 and 7) love their grandparents, and my husband and I want to help foster that relationship. The problem is my...

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Gary Oliver

Nov 11, 2016
3 min

Opinionated Grandparents

Question My kids (ages 5 and 7) love their grandparents, and my husband and I want to help foster that relationship. The problem is my...

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Gary Oliver

Oct 23, 2016
2 min

Parenting through Grandparent Conflict

Question We have two boys and two girls, and both sets of grandparents enjoy going overboard in their gift-giving. It’s almost like...

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Gary Oliver

Jul 11, 2016
3 min

Live-in Sister-in-law

Question I’ve been married two years and during that entire time, my husband’s sister has lived with us. She moved in to finish her...

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Gary Oliver

Dec 11, 2015
3 min

Wanting Children

Question I desperately want to have children. My husband doesn’t want to have children with me. He’s mentioned recently that he’s...

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Gary Oliver

Oct 1, 2015
4 min

Giving the Gift of Time

In Traits of a Healthy Family, Dolores Curran says that lack of time might be the most pervasive enemy the healthy family has. That may...

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Gary Oliver

Feb 23, 2015
3 min

Step-Family Differences

Question My husband and I divorced four years ago. Now he is remarried, and his new wife allows my 10-year-old daughter to watch movies,...

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Gary Oliver

Sep 11, 2014
2 min

Grandparents are Divorcing!

Question My parents just let us know that, after 36 years of marriage, they are getting a divorce. What is the best way to tell our kids...

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Gary Oliver

Jan 23, 2013
3 min

Bonding with Step-Children

Question I'm a step-father to three kids. I thought once the newness of our marriage wore off that the kids would warm up to me, but it's...

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Gary Oliver

Dec 11, 2012
3 min

Family Racism

Question I am in an interracial marriage, and we have just been blessed with a baby. My problem is my wife’s family was trying to...

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Gary Oliver

Sep 23, 2012
3 min

Unbalanced Family Time

Question My husband goes out of his way to spend time with his family—he even admits he’ll stop everything to be with them. When it comes...

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Gary Oliver

May 11, 2012
3 min

Step-Parent Troubles

Question My husband and I divorced four years ago. Now he is remarried, and his new wife allows my 10-year-old daughter to watch movies,...

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Gary Oliver

Nov 2, 2011
4 min

7 Keys to Building Strong Families: Key #7b Conflict; Pathway to Intimacy

I don't even remember what the disagreement was about, but I do remember that it wasn't pleasant. My wife felt strongly about her...

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Gary Oliver

Oct 26, 2011
4 min

7 Keys to Building Strong Families: Key #7a Conflict: Pathway to Intimacy

I'd been to London several times as a single student but this was the first time my wife and I had been there together. We were on our...

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Gary Oliver

Oct 19, 2011
4 min

7 Keys to Building Strong Families: Key #6 Nurturing Quality Communication

Over the past 30 years I've counseled over a thousand engaged couples. When I'm asked, “What's the most critical issue of marriage that...

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Gary Oliver

Oct 13, 2011
4 min

7 Keys to Building Strong Families: Key #5 The Gift of Healthy Anger

What do you think of when you hear the word anger? For over 20 years, I've led workshops dealing with emotions. Whenever I ask for a word...

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