extended family | To Love, Honor and Vacuum

The Emotional Labor of Kinkeeping: Why Men Should Call their Moms

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Jun 12, 2020 | Doing Life Together

Who does the emotional labor of keeping relationships with extended family close? We’ve been talking this month in our series about the work of emotional labor, and how that can contribute to women’s mental load–that feeling that we’re carrying...

When Your Husband Doesn’t Protect You from Your Mother-in-Law (or other toxic relatives)

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Dec 16, 2019 | Tough Marriage Situations

When you have difficult relationships with your in-laws, it’s not up to you to sort it out. In general, it’s better if the blood relative intervenes on your behalf. But what do you do if your husband won’t stand up to his mom (or dad)? Or what...

Podcast Extras: How to Handle Toxic Family Members at Christmas

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Dec 12, 2019 | Podcasts

What do you do when your extended family is just plain crazy? Or at least you FEEL like they’re crazy? Today on the podcast I’m talking about how to handle toxic family members at Christmas. Listen in to the podcast here: Listen to the Podcast Here Browse...

Our Soul Ties Series: Do You Have Unhealthy Emotional Bonds with Your Kids?

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Nov 27, 2019 | Family, Parenting Small Children, Parenting Teenagers

Are you becoming codependent with your children? Do you have unhealthy emotional bonds with your parents? This month we’ve been talking about the concept of “soul ties”, which was preached a lot in Christian circles in the 1980s and 1990s, but which...

10 Conversation Starters for Family Dinners During the Holidays

by Rebecca Lindenbach | Nov 26, 2019 | Doing Life Together, Family

Ever wanted to make family dinners more meaningful? (Rebecca on the blog today as Sheila is flying home from out west.) And I’ve got to say, if you want meaningful conversations, you should meet my Nana. My Nana (Sheila’s mother) loves to get people to...

My Top 10 Tips for Dealing with Pet Allergies in Your Family

by Joanna Sawatsky | Oct 29, 2019 | Healthy Living

What happens when pet allergies hit your family–and affect your marriage? I know that’s not one of my usual topics, but so many people around me are really affected by pet allergies, and as we enter the holiday season, I thought it might be a good topic to...