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When couples with children separate, there are a lot of decisions to make. Having those agreements in writing can decrease the chance for future conflict, facilitating a smoother  future for you and your children.

Unmarried couples with children need to determine their parenting schedule, how they will share holidays and special days with the children, how they will manage vacations with or without the children, how they will make important decisions in the future regarding the children, and more. A mediator can help by raising issues the couple may not yet have thought about and by facilitating the conversation when communication becomes challenging.

In addition, parents need to determine their support arrangements for the children and how expenses for the children such as health insurance, co-pays, prescriptions, dental costs, childcare and education will be handled. The mediator can assist by ensuring the parties gather necessary information to make informed decisions, provide information and resources to the parties, and help manage strong emotions and conflict as they arise.

If you and your partner are separating, mediation can help. Contact The Mediation Center today for more information, visit our website for more resources at www.MediationCTR.com or contact us today to schedule an appointment or talk with a mediator at [email protected] or 585-244-2444.

Are you having a family reunion this summer? Is it a big family affair with lots of family photography Austin to remember the day? Or is it just some of your closest relatives? Is it your family? The in-laws? Or perhaps this is new family you’ve discovered through researching your family history on sites like Genealogy Bank and this will be your first time meeting them. Whichever family is involved there are sure to be many personalities that show up. Some you appreciate and others you would rather run and scream from. But no matter what, you find yourself there, surrounding the grill or snack table…

Family gatherings can create stress for many people for differing reasons. Your family knows all of your buttons and you have had years of ingrained patterns of behaviors with your family members. Any family gathering needs the perfect venue to facilitate everyone so why not consider the Alta Ski Resort for the ideal family reunion venue?

Families have very unique personalities and sometimes these personalities can clash, and the thought of being together can be scary, similar to being thrown in a pen with lions and tigers, well maybe not that bad….

Clashing personalities can result in hard and hurt feelings that come with certain reactions/behaviors among family members. These are called family dynamics, some are good and others can be dysfunctional, to say the least! Every family is different, as is the resulting family dynamic. And trust me when I say, ALL families have DYNAMICS.

Your family’s cast of characters may include such personalities as: Mr. Negative, Aunt Nosey, Crazy Uncle, Miss Perfect, the slacker/moocher, the unruly child, muddy paws the dog, Cousin One-Up and the know-it-all. No matter what you call them, you likely have some relatives who stir up family controversy or who simply get on your nerves.

Families are given to us at birth or through marriage or other relationships. Family members are not chosen in most cases; rather we are born into them or thrown into them. At your family reunion, all the personalities come together, for better or worse.

Here are some suggestions for a happier family reunion:

• Stick to the purpose. Why are you going to the family reunion? Is it to connect or re-connect with relatives? Then focus on what you want – not what you don’t. Smile. Play. Help out. Don’t look for reasons to be offended.

• Stop texting, start talking. The purpose of a family reunion is to see people in person; you don’t have to text and call. So put away the screens and enjoy each other.

• Don’t let family push your buttons. Others push your buttons because they get a response, your emotions and your behavior. Deactivate those buttons. Walk away, laugh, change your reaction. If you keep doing the same things that always lead to frustration, you’ll keep getting frustrated. Do something different.

• Let people be who they are. One of the biggest sources of conflict is that we want family members to change. They will probably never change. So if you keep expecting them to, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Set appropriate expectations for people.

• HAVE FUN! Take your mind off of the serious stuff, and focus on the positives at the family reunion – like the 99 percent of the relatives you get along with.

If you know that going to a family event will cause you more distress and angst than joy in your life, it is okay to avoid those events. But, use this as a last resort and focus on the family members that bring you happiness.

Give it a chance with some of the above suggestions and you may be pleasantly surprised.

If you would like to address and try to resolve some of these family issues, consider mediation as a process that can help. Sitting down with a conflict resolution specialist who can facilitate your conversation can help you and future family reunions be happy and healthy!

Happy Family Reunion!!

Adapted from Family Reunion Planning Kit

According to the Holmes and Rahe Life Events Scale divorce is second only to death as the most stressful life event a person can experience. Yet each person experiences the loss of their marriage differently. The length of the marriage, the strength of feelings one partner has toward the other, the presence of children, which partner initiated the divorce, how much time has passed since the idea of divorce was raised—all and more influence the emotional impact of divorce when it occurs.

Although grief is expressed differently, for different things and at different times, the stages of grief tend to remain the same. Kubler-Ross (1969) holds that grief occurs as a cycle which includes five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Not all people experience all five stages, nor is the model linear. Someone might bargain to save the marriage, become angry that their partner is not willing to return to counseling, and then become sad and despondent. At other times, a person may have come to a place of acceptance that divorce is inevitable, only to learn their partner is leaving them for someone new, thrusting them into a fresh stage of anger. People can also become stuck in the grieving process. This can be particularly deleterious to families because parental mental health directly impacts children’s adjustment in divorce (Taylor & Andrews, 2009, Parental Depression in the Context of Divorce and the Impact on Children. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 50(7), 472-480).

When one partner is not acting as upset as the other when divorcing, it does not mean they are not grieving or have not already grieved. Anticipatory grief can happen in advance of a loss, when someone knows that the marriage is not working and may come to an end. Often, after the divorce, new grieving takes place.

If you, or your partner, are grieving, consider getting some help. Working with a counselor who specializes in grief is an excellent way to get the support you need. Joining a support group such as Neutral Ground or Parents Without Partners puts you in touch with others who have experienced what you are going through. Finding a trusted friend or someone from your faith community who can listen without judgement and offer you support, can provide a safe place to process your feelings.

Many find the mediation process helpful because it allows couples to work at a pace that meets their needs, while de-escalating harmful conflict. Contact The Mediation Center today for more information at: [email protected]

What is a “kidult”? I define a kidult as a child who has been away at school and is returning home for the summer. They are either between school semesters, have graduated and need to find a full-time job, or are transitioning to graduate school.

Do you have college students, boarding school students or newly graduated students that have returned to the nest? I have two coming home, one having just finished his freshman year and the other just graduated. I am both excited and nervous.

We, as parents look forward to their return, we have missed them and having an extra driver to help out with errands is a good thing; but at the same time it can bring some anxieties. We haven’t lived with them all year. How have you and they changed? How do we keep our sanity and be supportive parents? Setting ground rules early may lessen anxiety for everyone.

A kidult finds themselves having been “on their own” at school with many freedoms and setting their own schedule and now, they are living back home where there are parental rules and expectations. Parents have been living without this extra person(s) and now have to adjust to their return. This inevitably means a transition time and re-teaching by parents and re-learning by kidults, what the boundaries and ground rules are of living under the same roof. And yes, parents, it is okay to have rules and responsibilities for kidults living in your house if you feel it’s important. Things like helping out with the cleaning or yard work is an okay expectation, as is not staying out into all hours of the night.

So how do you avoid this conflict and reestablish a sense of family living with your kidult?

• Parents first need to be on the same page with each other and discuss ahead of time what expectations are appropriate.
• Plan a family meeting when they first get home to discuss the expectations. Don’t wait until the conflict happens. Be proactive.
• Don’t dictate and preach. Involve them in the conversation. They need to take ownership in the process.
• Remind them that their actions will now affect everyone in the house.
• Talk about how life at school may be different than life at home.
• Negotiate a list of responsibilities now that they are home, like:
  • Vacuuming
  • Mowing the lawn
  • Working a summer job
  • Actively seeking a full time job (if they have graduated)

You and your kidult have grown and changed in different ways. We want to encourage independence and growing up, but with a sense of family and respect for others.

Managing this potential conflict is about finding a balance for all of us and setting expectations early in their return can make for a much sunnier summer for all of you.

If your house is like my house, about the second day of summer recess you hear, “I’m bored”. I know this is coming every year and I still look at my kids each year in disbelief, “REALLY?”

Spring is taking its time to bloom in Rochester, but soon the leaves will be on the trees, grass will be green and the flowers will grace our yards with their beautiful colors and SOON THE KIDS WILL BE OUT OF SCHOOL. It is not too early to start thinking about activities to keep kids, both young and old, from being bored.

Once springtime hits, we start to think about outside activities. Yard work is a must, and really must get around to buying that mini excavator brush cutter to help me tackle those weeds, but what are some fun things to do with the kids and as a family?

Getting the kids outside and engaged is very important. Kids are attached to their Ipods, Ipads, computers, and phones, so getting them engaged with others and off the couch can be a challenge, but keeping them active will keep their minds and bodies in shape. A sure-fire way of getting your kids active and in the sun is by using the temptation of a trampoline. Trampolines are something that kids are fascinated by, and purchasing one for your backyard will certainly encourage them to jump and get outdoors. This positively promotes activity and outdoor play. One great way to encourage activity is to consider taking them to a fun indoor center where they can climb walls and experience different courses to get them more active. To find somewhere like this close to you, you could always consider searching the internet for “centers offering entertainment near me“. Hopefully, your kids will enjoy these sorts of challenges, reducing their boredom!

Activities should be age-appropriate and safe. Think back to when you were a kid and things that you enjoyed to help you with ideas.

Here are some outdoor (and indoor/rainy day) activities to chase the boredom away and keep your kids from turning into couch potatoes this summer. Most of these are inexpensive and once you get them set-up you can let their imaginations run wild. Kids love when their parents play WITH them, so make time to participate in some of these fun undertakings.

AT HOME

• Scavenger Hunt
• Kickball, bocce, or any yard game
• (Do you remember SPUD & freeze tag?)
• Add a twist and play flashlight tag at night
• Sidewalk chalk
• Outdoor movie theater
• If you have woods on your property, make a fort
• Backyard camping – set-up a tent for overnight and for daytime play
• Make an obstacle course
• Water balloons or sprinkler, for those really hot days
• Ride a bike
• Arts and Crafts
• Neighborhood Game night
• Bubbles
• Hide and Seek
• Make some slime
• Puzzles

IN OR AROUND ROCHESTER

• Museums
• Bowling
• Indoor Trampoline
• Zoo
• Hiking/Nature walk
• Park or playground, Rochester has many parks
• Volunteering

FAMILIES WHO PLAY TOGETHER HAVE FUN TOGETHER!!!

Be sure to use YOUR imagination.

Renee LaPoint, M.S.

The difficult time of separation or divorce is emotionally and sometimes financially stressful. Unless you’ve been through it before, you are sailing uncharted waters. During this time, having a good support system is very important. You may need your friends more than ever. That said, for any of your friends that have not experienced separation or divorce themselves, it can be hard to relate to what you are going through. They may not understand your choices, especially if you initiated the divorce. They might not get that it was the best of some not-very-good options, and realize just how hard it is for you. Some may even be a little jealous of your new–found ‘freedom’.

Even as you need your friends, you must remember that the situation is difficult for them as well. Try to stay in touch, and offer opportunities for them to express any feelings they might have, so you can keep the communication open. If you reach out to a friend and they don’t respond, let them go. You don’t need to spend energy trying to convince them to stay right now. People who were mutual friends of you and your ex may feel uncomfortable maintaining the friendship with one or both of you after the split. Bashing your ex, or revealing intimate details of the problems in your relationship can push them away. Even if what your ex is telling them makes them take your ex’s side initially, with time, by taking the high road, you may find them back in your court.

You want to stay in touch with the friends who will be supportive. Your close friends should be available to you for emotional support. If you are comfortable and it is appropriate, these friends might also be called on to help you network for a new job, look for an apartment or give your kids a ride once in a while. As important as it is to keep in touch with and ask for help from trusted friends, it is equally important to know how much to ask of them.

Be mindful of how much complaining you are doing and negative feelings you are expressing. While friends may be very accommodating, after awhile it may become too much for them to enjoy being with you. If you have very strong feelings, or they continue for a long time, a therapist can help you sort through those feelings and offer you constructive ways to handle them so you can heal and move forward. Using a divorce coach is another way to be supported through the process in areas that your friends or therapist can’t help with.

So allow your friendships to help you through this difficult time, but remember that even in periods of difficulty, friendships are a two way street. Keep in mind how much support is available from each relationship so you don’t overburden it, and always express your gratitude to your friends for their support.