Few ways Parents Can Have a Healthy Relationship With Their Kids

Perhaps the worst thing a parent can hear from a grown up child is, “I want you out of my life. You’re toxic.” It’s a death sentence for the relationship, spelling a long period of estrangement if not a permanent break. It may be the healthiest decision for the child, but it is a heartbreaking one that carves a deep wound in both psyches, making the road to reconciliation arduous and uncertain. No parent is perfect. We’re all human, and we all make mistakes, including some whoppers. But there’s a difference between screwing up while providing healthy love and presiding over a psychologically damaging childhood that will necessitate a lifetime of healing. The steps outlined below are for concerned parents who want to do things right and are willing to examine themselves critically. They presuppose a healthy degree of self-awareness and the desire and ability to make positive changes. They do not address behavior caused by substance abuse or serious mental illness. And they are only one man’s opinion.

Step in with determination not to be right but to make things right between the two of you.

Are you REALLY more exhausted than your husband? It sparks endless marital rows – who’s working harder on less sleep? We wired up some couples to find out

Mandie and husband Nick with their children Honor (left) and Pearl (right). Mandie thinks she must be more tired than her husband because she's been up every night looking after their baby

The argument has been raging between married couples for generations. Who is the most tired? With sleep a valuable commodity in most relationships, particularly those with young children, it seems men and women will never agree.

The female claim to the ‘most exhausted’ crown was bolstered this week by research which revealed that, over a year, women get 15 days less sleep than they need, compared to the male deficit of ten days. To settle the argument, we challenged three couples to log their waking and sleeping hours using a Jawbone, an interactive wristband that monitors wearers’ steps taken and quality of sleep.

It also gives a figure for ‘total active time’ — moving and doing physical work, rather than sitting down. 

The couples:

Here, the couples say how hard they think they work before each takes the Jawbone test. The results may surprise you . . .

Mandie Gower, 38, a magazine editor, and her husband, Nick Goodchild, 38, a company director, pictured above, live in South London. They have two children, Honor, ten months, and Pearl, three.

How a bad relationship can, quite literally, break your heart: Being trapped in a bad marriage 'increases risk of heart disease'

You might think years of being trapped in a bad marriage leads only to a messy divorce. 

But it can also quite literally break your heart, scientists believe.

A study found that people who have experienced decades of conflict with their spouse are more likely to develop heart disease than those in good marriages.

The finding was especially true for wives - possibly because women tend to internalise negative feelings more than men.

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People in bad marriages are more likely to develop heart disease, a study found. The finding was especially true for wives - possibly because women tend to internalise negative feelings more than men (file pic)

It suggests that relationship counselling should be directed at older couples as well as those starting out on the marital journey, the U.S. researchers said.

Sociologist Hui Lui, from Michigan State University, U.S. said: 'Marriage counselling is focused largely on younger couples. But these results show that marital quality is just as important at older ages, even when the couple has been married 40 or 50 years.'

The findings back up previous research by Dr Lui, and other, which found people who are unhappy with their spouse could be at higher risk of depression, high blood pressure and even heart disease.

How true is this: On the verge of a break up? Blame your mother-in-law: Two thirds of divorcees say it was their mum who convinced them to end things

New research says family influence affects decision to divorce,Mothers had the greatest influence for both men and women.Six percent also say their children's feelings play a part 

When it comes to choosing to leave your spouse it seems that parental influence can have a huge input on the decision. In fact, new research shows that almost two thirds of divorcees say their mother was the one who helped them decide to break up.

Sixty three per cent said their families had a baring on their decision to split - but it was mothers on both sides who had the greatest influence.

One in ten said their siblings prompted them to end the marriage while six per cent said their children's feelings played a part in helping them make a decision.

Sometimes things just don't work out. According to statistics 42% of marriages currently end in divorce

This has to stop: Tearful and frightened, young girls are lined up before villagers to undergo tribal circumcision ceremony in Kenya

Tearful: One of the young girls, covered in an animal skin, cries after being circumcised. The practice was outlawed three years ago

These pictures show frightened girls lined up before villagers in Kenya to be circumcised - even though the brutal practice is now illegal in the country.

Adorned: After the ceremony, the girls, now covered in animal skins and beaded necklaces, walk to where they will rest after the tribal ritual

But in many African tribes, traditions are more important than laws and circumcision is considered a rite of passage that marks their transition into womanhood so they can marry.  

How To Write A Thank You Note After Your Interview

No matter whether you’ve had a great interview, or one that could have gone a bit better, it’s always important to send the people who interviewed you a thank you note.

Not only is it polite, but sending a quick email keeps you on the hiring manager’s radar and might even give you the edge over another candidate who maybe didn’t send a note.
But where do you start when it comes to firing up your emails and sending over the thank you note? Well, these tips should give you a good idea!

1) Address The Interviewer Directly
The first and most vital rule of the thank you email is to make sure you address it to the person who interviewed you. You should already have their details or – if not – you can get them from the company’s HR team.
Make sure you send it to their personal email address, and if there was more than one person interviewing you, send a personalised email to each interviewer.
This personal touch shows that you’ve gone to the effort to get their email address and customise the note just for them.

2) Include Information Discussed At Interview
A thank you note should be kept quite short, but if there’s anything you wanted to follow-up on after the interview that was discussed, then now is the time to do it.
If there’s something you don’t think you explained particularly well, or a past project you wanted to show them more information about, then include these in your thank you email.
However, be aware that they are busy people, so keep whatever you want to explain or show them short and to-the-point.