Articles

Dec 5, 20192 min read

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, 20192 min read

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, 20192 min read

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, 20183 min read

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, 20183 min read

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, 20163 min read

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, 20162 min read

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, 20163 min read

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, 20153 min read

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, 20154 min read

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, 20153 min read

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, 20142 min read

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, 20133 min read

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, 20123 min read

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, 20123 min read

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, 20123 min read

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, 20114 min read

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, 20114 min read

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, 20114 min read

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, 20114 min read

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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