Search Results for: blog dealing with difficult neighbors

Dealing with negative people

Do you know someone who never has a good thing to say about anything or anybody? Nothing ever seems right for these people; the weather is either too hot or too cold, or they complain that others are never doing the right thing. Over time these people can really bring you down. Yet we may be forced to deal with them on a regular basis. They may be friends, work colleagues, or family members. What can we do to reduce the impact that interactions with these people can have on us? Ethel was known by all her neighbors as “Mrs. … Continue reading →

Over-Reliance on the Web?

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Allow me to briefly grumble about internet service providers (in general) as they consistently disappoint in the country of America (in particular). The customer service I’ve received has been, surprisingly, wonderful. That said, for an entire week my internet was cut off for no good reason. I live in a duplex, you see, and I had our internet set up at the beginning of the month. A day or so later our next door neighbors moved out. A week or so later I saw my ISP’s truck in front of our house. “What are they doing,” I wondered, and suddenly … Continue reading →

I Don’t Want My Kids to be That Coworker Who Won’t Do Dishes

We all know those co-workers—the ones who don’t clean up after themselves: they leave a mess in the company microwave and leave their dishes stacked in the sink, just assuming that someone else will clean up after them. I don’t know if I have ever worked at a job where there was not at least one of those people who had never learned the lesson of how to clean up after themselves and have some consideration for others. I am determined that my kids will NOT be that coworker. I know that I cannot fully control what sort of adults … Continue reading →

Murphy and Kitty and a Hurricane Named Frances

Just as September always reminds me of hurricanes, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to spend another Labor Day Weekend without remembering Labor Day 2004. Lights Out, Uh Huh, Dance, Dance, Dance! At one p.m. on Labor Day 2004 the electricity went out. It would not come back on for another three and a half days. I was napping on the couch, and I think Wayne was too, when the commotion started. Sirens, to be exact. We woke to see neighbors running up the street. We went out to investigate the brew ha-ha and learned a branch had fallen … Continue reading →

The Stigma of being a Mental Health Patient

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As if it isn’t bad enough to be besieged by depression, bipolar disorder or any number of conditions that may land you in a medical facility for a period of time, there is the added stigma you as a patient may receive from family members, neighbors, acquaintances, even your work colleagues. While most hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from mental and emotional complaints, the topic is still generally not talked about and many people are reluctant to admit to suffering from a mental disorder of some description. However, when the relevant condition deteriorates such that the sufferer is … Continue reading →

Is Your Family Considered a Good Neighbor?

Have you ever wondered what people in the neighborhood might be saying about your family and the activities and adventures that go on at your house? Is yours the house in the neighborhood where there are always extra kids, bikes in the driveway, and skates on the sidewalk; or the one where loud music is usually blaring from the upstairs windows? While it might not be an issue for many, there are ways you can evaluate and consider whether your family is considered a desirable neighbor…or not… Of course, the type of neighborhood you live in can make a big … Continue reading →

Teaching Kids to Be Neighborly

Being neighborly seems to be a lost art—a part of our heritage and social behavior that is fast disappearing in our modern world where we often don’t even know who our neighbors are! While some of us are blessed to live in established neighborhoods where we come to know and cherish our neighbors, others of us live in more transient areas or are so busy that we may live in a home for months or years before ever crossing paths with our neighbors! There are little things we can do, however, to give our children a taste of those neighborly … Continue reading →

Three Myths About Raising a Special Needs Child

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There are many misconceptions that enter our minds when we learn that our child has a lifelong disability. The diagnosis (or lack of diagnosis) can be crushing, and sometimes we cling to self-defeating notions that just aren’t so. Here are three examples of myths that can cloud our judgement: 1. My child is going to be unhappy and live an unsatisfying life, full of difficulties. It’s true that a special-needs child has challenges. But it is not true that these special kids can’t live happy, fulfilling, even joyous lives. Often the majority of the “woe” felt over the disability is … Continue reading →