Articles filed under Potts, Ken

• Marriages should transform over time Feb 11, 2013 12:00 AM
  Our Ken Potts says healthy marriages are like the old Transformers toys. The basic building blocks of a marriage remain the same over a lifetime, he says, but they can be rearranged in our marriages in all sorts of new and exciting ways.
  

   

• Take action to get out of the doldrums Jan 31, 2013 12:00 AM
  Certainly, we can wait for our depression or anxiety to subside of their own accord. They usually do, our Ken Potts says. It is possible, however, to feel less depressed or less anxious almost immediately if we are willing to use either of two simple remedies, he explains.
  

   

• Bad times can make a marriage stronger Jan 27, 2013 12:00 AM
  It's easy for marriages to survive the good times, our Ken Potts says, but much more difficult when the going gets rough. That's the time, he says, when we need to pull closer together.
  

   

• Watch your tone if you want to be heard Jan 19, 2013 12:00 AM
  In any conversation, there are the words we use and then there's the meaning we put behind the words. Our Ken Potts suggests that if we want to communicate effectively, we need to watch our tone.
  

   

• Finding balance between close and too closeJan 12, 2013 12:00 AM
  Our Ken Potts says one of the toughest balancing acts in a relationship is that between closeness and distance. Obviously, to have any kind of relationship at all we have to have enough closeness. But how much is enough? When does it become smothering? When does it start to rob us of our ability to be alone? When do we start to take the other person for granted, if not actually resent their presence?
  

   

• Parents must help their children set limits Jan 4, 2013 12:00 AM
  Our Ken Potts says helping our children set limits is one of the biggest, and most important, challenges of parenthood.
  

   

• Finding the right balance in our kids’ self-esteem Dec 28, 2012 12:00 AM
  Building self-esteem is an important aspect of parenting, our Ken Potts says. But recent research indicates we've got to be careful not to go overboard. Here are some tips.
  

   

• ‘Forgetting ourselves in giving ourselves’ Dec 19, 2012 12:00 AM
  Our Ken Potts says at this time of year it pays to remember the value of giving. In putting aside our individual needs and wants,he says, we are in fact more in touch with our individual potentials. We become more when we concentrate on us less.
  

   

• Life, marriage require us to change, adapt Dec 14, 2012 12:00 AM
  Our Ken Potts says life continually challenges us with the need to adapt and change. This is true not only for individuals, but for marriages as well.
  

   

• Gossip causes far more harm than good Nov 2, 2012 12:00 AM
  Admit it, we all like to gossip occasionally. But our Ken Potts says it's a slippery slope because gossip usually does far more harm than it does good.
  

   

• Four most dangerous words? ‘I told you so’ Oct 26, 2012 12:00 AM
  "I told you so" can be four of the most dangerous words around, according to our Ken Potts, especially when it comes to relationships. Here are some tips for avoiding the phrase and maybe coming up with something a little less likely to spark an argument.
  

   

• Is this a good time? Five words that can help your marriageOct 11, 2012 12:00 AM
  "Is this a good time?" Our Ken Potts says those five simple words can play a key role in communication between a husband and wife and -- who knows? -- maybe even help keep your marriage on track.
  

   

• Learning to relax tougher than it seems Oct 6, 2012 12:00 AM
  Our Ken Potts says it can be tougher than it looks to just kick back and relax -- especialy in a culture that demands we're always on the go.
  

   

• Successful marriage takes combination of optimism, realismSep 22, 2012 12:00 AM
  Most couples in premarital counseling with our Ken Potts are optimistic about their chances for marital bliss. That's good. If we don't go into our marriage with such a positive attitude, we'd better think twice about our decision to get married in the first place. On the other hand, many of these couples are somewhat surprised to talk so much about the time and effort that goes into building a growing, fulfilling relationship.
  

   

• Wisdom is handed down through generations Sep 14, 2012 12:00 AM
  Looking for a way to impart a life lesson to his son, our Ken Potts found himself contemplating the values his parents had shared when he and his siblings were teens and presented the ideas that way. Surprisingly, Potts says, his son seemed to listen, perhaps for no other reason than that it was such an unusual way for his dad to begin one of his "lectures."
  

   

• Finding hope in the little things Sep 7, 2012 12:00 AM
  Our Ken Potts had stopped off for lunch at one of those classic family restaurants — the ones with a hundred and one menu items from every possible culinary heritage. People came and went, a United Nations of patrons all intent on getting a decent meal and probably totally unaware of the scene they painted. If there is any reason to hope for humanity, he finds it in murals such as this one.
  

   

• Dad’s letter to his 13-year-old daughter offers good advice Aug 31, 2012 12:00 AM
  Our Ken Potts shares a letter a dad wrote to his 13-year-old daughter about how parts of their relationship are changing, while others will always stay the same.
  

   

• Secret to a healthy marriage: finding the time Aug 25, 2012 12:00 AM
  What's the secret to having a healthy marriage? Our Ken Potts says there are many factors, but perhaps none more important than making the time for each other. It's not, of course, as easy as it sounds.
  

   

• 10 tips for stepparents that will help both the kids — and you Aug 18, 2012 12:00 AM
  The divorce rate continues to hover around 50 percent. A majority of children will live in stepfamilies at some time in their lives. Ken Potts suggests some guidelines for becoming a stepparent that may not only help you get along with your stepchildren, but maybe save your marriage as well.
  

   

• Let your inner child come out and play Aug 16, 2012 12:00 AM
  Somewhere in each of us, perhaps deep inside, is a small child, just waiting to be set free. Our Ken Potts says the happiness we find in our lives ultimately may depend on how able we are to let this little kid "come out and play."