“Communication”

The word “graduation” fills us with so many emotions: accomplishment, fear, relief, elation, and sadness. It’s amazing how we can go from being so sad to leave home before freshman year to a sadness to return home once we graduate. Because we grew up at home with our parents, the objective concept of moving back home shouldn’t be intimidating, however, a lot happens when we are away at college. What once was a normal environment at home can become a foreign one filled with questions and uncertainty.

"We want to connect with a marriage counselor, but there aren't any near us?" "My friend is making some bad decisions! What do I do?" What do you think? How would you respond to these? These are just some of the questions we get to answer on today's podcast. These situations are ones that listeners have submitted to us and we love taking time to answer them. Listen as Dr. Grace and Dr. Muehlhoff share their thoughts on these situations and others. 

Bring them into the conversation!

Technology is becoming more and more integrated into our lives. Email, social media, streaming tv shows, text threads; they can all be good things when managed well! We encourage you to have a conversation with your spouse or your teenager or your child about how to use the technology. "Why do you spend time on social media?" "What is your favorite show?" "Who you do stay in touch with the most?" Then try setting some of these boundaries in your home to make sure technology isn't controlling your interactions!

As the end of my last semester approaches, there are a lot of things I am eager to leave behind: early morning classes, noisy dorm neighbors, the constant flow of homework and extremely long nights of studying. To say goodbye to finals and exams is a dream! But to say goodbye to some of my closest friends…?

Dear CMR,

I am a college sophomore and I've been trying to move my relationship with my parents into an age-appropriate place. I don't live close to them and I am growing and changing in ways they aren't around to see. I still want them in my life but since we don't live close, how do I grow and encourage them to understand that I am changing and evolving?

Signed,

Taking On The World

Have you ever been on the phone when a loud car drives by or construction work starts happening next door? Not only can it be annoying, the noise makes it really difficult to understand the person you are talking with! Did you know there are other types of noise, besides audio noise? Dr. Tim Muehlhoff explains these different types of noise and how they can make it hard to understand someone in a conversation. Do you relate to any of these?

Do you know that feeling? You've just had a fight and now things have cooled off. What do you do? How do you repair the relationship after the argument and restore the connection you had? This article explains some research behind arguments and how to resolve things in a healthy way. 

Dear CMR,

I was really hurt by a friend of mine the other day, and I feel it lingering in the back of my mind. I don't want to blow up at them, but I come close to doing that when we hang out together.

Signed,

Holding It In