Articles filed under Potts, Ken

• 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."
  

   

• 10 ways to take advantage of summer Aug 4, 2012 12:00 AM
  Summer months are often a time when we are open to new experiences, to a change of pace. It's as though we give ourselves permission to take our nose from the grindstone and look around for an adventure or two.
  

   

• Parents, encourage curiosity in children Jul 20, 2012 12:00 AM
  Curiosity is one of those personality traits that can be both a curse and a blessing. In many ways, curiosity is at the very heart of our humanity. Though possessed by some animals, none of God's creatures seem as curious as we are.
  

   

• Remember, a kid is still a kid when it comes to communicating Jul 14, 2012 12:00 AM
  Kids don't think like adults, no matter how precocious they seem.Our Ken Potts warns it is tempting for parents to assume that once our children acquire the verbal skills to carry on an intelligent conversation, we can begin to relate to them as though they also can think intelligently.
  

   

• We must work through conflict — even if time passes Jul 2, 2012 12:00 AM
  In any relationship, whatever the circumstances, we have to consistently and constantly watch for those misunderstandings, disagreements, or irritations that slowly but surely can come between us, our Ken Potts says. And even if it takes us a day, or a week, or a year to get around to talking about them, we do have to talk about them.
  

   

• We need to take care of each other Jun 22, 2012 12:00 AM
  As the post-war generation moves into ­— and through — middle age, we are confronted more and more with our limits and our mortality, our Ken Potts says. We work and play with a bit less energy. We can see more signs of wear and tear and our bodies, minds and souls. The serious illness, even death, of someone "our age" is not as unusual as it used to be. We are no longer convinced that we can change the world for the better. And we sometimes feel caught between our children, who still need us, and our parents who seem to need us more and more.
  

   

• It’s only a guilt trip if you buy the ticket Jun 15, 2012 12:00 AM
  Guilt is, perhaps, one of the most powerful of human emotions. It can motivate us to do — or not do — all sorts of things that rationally make little, if any, sense. Our emotions are a response to what we are experiencing or thinking, and our emotions come from within us. Nobody but us has the power to make us feel guilty.
  

   

• Family vacations require careful planning Jun 10, 2012 12:00 AM
  "This is no place for kids." I certainly agreed with the mother of four at the table next to ours. Not only was that particular restaurant no place for kids, but the whole vacation area we were visiting was almost completely adult-oriented. During the rest of the day, I was surprised at just how many families with children — often young children — were attempting to vacation where we were staying. I use the word "attempting" intentionally, because it didn't look to me like either parents or children were having much of a vacation.
  

   

• Consequences of unemployment are economic, emotional May 20, 2012 12:00 AM
  We often worry most about the economic consequences of unemployment. However, there are other problems the unemployed face that are just as serious — problems that have to do with our emotions, our Ken Potts says. Such consequences are not as easy to see as the other hardships of being out of work, but they are just as real.