Helping Your Kids Stay Tidy

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 23-May-2008 edition

 

Helping Your Kids Stay Tidy

By Dr Bill Maier

 

How would you describe your children’s rooms?

A: Dust-free environment.

B: Controlled chaos.

C: Toxic Waste Dump.

 

If you answered B or C, chances are your kids need

a crash course in organisation.

 

Because ultimately, being neat is more a matter of order

than it is cleanliness.

 

There’s a lot you can do to help your kids stay organised.

 

Begin by helping them set up a filing system for their

schoolwork and personal papers. It is amazing what

a small file cabinet can do for a cluttered room.

 

Teach them to track their schedule on a calendar or daytimer.

 

Milk crates make great storage units for toys and magazines,

and they stack easily.

 

It is hard to keep a room neat when you don’t have

a place for everything.

 

You may be surprised at the change once your kids

learn how easy it is to be organised.

How to Build a Strong Marriage

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 22-May-2008 edition

 

How to Build a Strong Marriage

By Dr Bill Maier

 

Do me a favour. Look around and locate something that’s green.

 

If you’re in the car, you may see a green light or a green car.

Whatever the case, I’ll bet you didn’t have much trouble, did you?

 

My good friends, Les and Leslie Parrott, often use that experiment

in their seminars, and their point is, it’s not hard to find something

if you’re looking for it. They explain that that’s true in marriages

as well.

 

Everyone has flaws, and couples often tend to look for the bad

in each other. If you think your spouse is lazy, you’ll find yourself

looking for actions that prove your point. If you think they’re

deceitful, you’ll find ways not to trust them. Whatever you have

in your mind, you’ll find evidence to support it.

 

The key to building a strong marriage is to focus on the good,

instead of the bad. You’re bound to find whatever you look for,

so why not look for something positive? And don’t forget to

praise them when you find it.

The World's Most Famous Billiard Player

The World’s Most Famous Billiard Player! Ever!

 

No Place to Hide

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 21-May-2008 edition

 

No Place to Hide

By Dr Bill Maier

 

The best thing about marriage is also the worst thing

about marriage!

 

Most people agree that the best thing about marriage

is intimacy. Marriage brings about in a couple a physical

and emotional bond that transcends any other type of

relationship. It’s a wonderful thing to get to share

the deepest parts of yourself with another person.

 

But intimacy can also be scary. Robert Louis Stevenson said:

“By marrying, you have willfully introduced a witness into your life.”

 

Well, he knew what he was talking about! When two people

commit themselves to a marriage relationship, it doesn’t take long

to realise how exhausting it can be. Suddenly, our flaws

and inconsistencies are exposed and there’s no place to hide!

 

True intimacy may feel uncomfortable, but it’s what a marriage needs

to grow strong.

 

When two people allow that kind of accountability into their lives,

the bond they share can become deeper than they ever dreamed

possible.

Overcoming Fears

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 20-may-2008 edition

 

Overcoming Fears

By Dr Bill Maier

 

Just because fears are irrational, does not mean they are not real –

at least to the person who has to deal with them.

 

People who struggle with fear often understand how irrational

their worries are, but that does not solve the problem.

 

Some fears fall into the category of phobias, and often it takes

a professional to help work through them.

 

But most fears can be dealt with by simply training ourselves

to think and act differently.

 

Begin by learning to take charge of your feelings. Understand

that feelings can be uncomfortable, but they cannot hurt you.

Although you cannot control your emotions, you can control

how you react to them.

 

Next, learn to recognise your triggers. Steering clear

of stressful situations is often the best way to overcome them.

Many fearful people subconsciously put themselves into

fearful situations.

 

Finally, try to stop playing the “what if” game. Instead, think

affirmative thoughts. Speak and act positively, and your emotions

will learn to follow.