Introduction to Family and Relationship Issues

Welcome to our Family and Relationship Issues topic center. Whoever we are, we are all very much shaped by those who raised us, our parents and/or caregivers. We are the product of human relationships, and most of us spend our days within the context of relationships with other people. We need other people to be close to us in our lives, or we tend to get sick. Who we are is very much a function of where we have come from, and who we surround ourselves with.
Despite their vital importance in our lives, relationships can be very difficult to manage. We expect our intimate partners to provide for many of our needs, but often find that differing expectations, frustration, and a need to be right create conditions for conflict and erosion of intimacy. Angels though they may be, our children test us for weaknesses and we don't always pass. Our adult parents grow older and require care, placing a burden on our other responsibilities. A diverse set of communicati...More
Fast Facts: Learn! Fast!
What are healthy communication skills that should be used in relationships with others?
- Assertive communication is respectful, direct, honest, open, non-threatening and non-defensive. It is not demanding, aggressive, or manipulative.
- Understanding the emotional side of conversations can cause behavior to shift.
- Trust and affection are the glue that hold couples together. Healthy partners communicate these positive feelings towards each other via words and gestures in a cyclical manner that breeds more positive communication.
- Knowing more about how to communicate clearly and with sensitivity can help you to avoid problems before they start.
What are effective conflict resolution skills that should be used in relationships with others?
- It’s normal to have conflict in relationships, but resolving disagreements in a healthy way creates understanding and brings couples closer together.
- Learn the 3 most common and ineffective ways conflict is handled in intimate relationships and how to better handle it.
- Discover 4 strategies will help couples and families balance the needs of others with their own, and make the holiday season more enjoyable for all.
- In your quest as a parent to help your child understand the difference between good and bad, right and wrong and what it means to be respectful to others, there will inevitably be times when your child resists or you miscommunicate.
- Repairing damage while disagreeing with your partner can require learning new habits and skills.
- Whether in a marriage, between parents and children, or among friends, conflict is an inevitable part of any ongoing relationship and the question isn't if there will be conflict but how you will navigate the conflict when it occurs. Here are three skills you can practice to enhance your conflict-resolution and two to avoid.
- People who remarry find themselves blending two sets of families from former marriages and it's common to find a wife or husband complaining that their new spouse seems to love their biological children more than their new spouse.
News Articles
AHA News: Pandemic Pods Offer Social Relief, But There Are Risks
"There's maybe a false sense of security with these pod arrangements," said Melissa Hawkins, director of the Public Health Scholars Program at American University in Washington, D.C. That's a serious issue as people grow eager for more contact, but vaccinations are months away for most. More...
Saying 'I Understand' Makes a Real Difference, Study Shows
Showing support for a person's upset over something they've experienced can actually help boost their positive feelings, new research shows. More...
Caring for Elderly Loved Ones During a Holiday Lockdown
While everyone is dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults may feel the loss of holiday traditions the most. More...
Give Your Family the Gift of Regular Exercise
Physical activity could be the best gift to give your family this holiday season. And the American Heart Association (AHA) has some suggestions on how to do that. More...
Poll: 1 in 3 Parents Pick Holiday Gathering Over COVID Safety
In a new nationwide poll of 1,443 parents, about one in three said the benefits of gathering with families for the holidays outweighed the risk of spreading the virus. More...
20 MoreCollege Kid Coming Home for Thanksgiving? Here's How to Keep Your Family Safe
As college students prepare to leave their campuses for Thanksgiving or study remotely for the rest of the semester, families should consider their risks and work to reduce them, according to an infectious disease expert. More...
AHA News: Despite the Pandemic, Keep Social Connections Strong This Holiday Season
As the pandemic crashes into the holidays, fewer of us may be getting together with family and friends to celebrate the season. But the bonds of friendship remain key to emotional and physical health. More...
Think 'Virtual' for Family Gatherings During the Holidays
Virtual gatherings are the best choice for family get-togethers this holiday season, an expert says. More...
When Your Spouse Gripes About Aging, It Might Harm Your Health
In older couples, one spouse's negative thoughts about aging can affect the other spouse's health, a new study indicates. More...
Spouses Share a Lot – Including Heart Health, Study Shows
Many married couples or domestic partners share a lot: the same house, bills, pets and maybe children. A new study found they often also share the same behaviors and risk factors that can lead to heart disease. More...
Kids' Hospitalizations Accompany Rising Unemployment Rates: Study
COVID-19 has led to widespread job loss in the United States. And now a new study reports that when unemployment rates rise, so do hospitalizations of children. More...
Most American Families Facing Financial Danger During Pandemic: Poll
More than 60% of households with children in the United States have struggled with serious financial problems during the coronavirus pandemic, a new poll shows. More...
COVID Conflicts Are Putting Big Strains on Relationships
Both sides think they're right. And that's led to friction and frustration among friends and families. More...
Why Some Gifts Are Better-Received Than Others
Those who received a gift that was intended to save them money were more likely to say it made them feel embarrassed, ashamed and bad, compared to those who received a time-saving gift. More...
When Parents, Grandparents Don't Agree on Childrearing Choices
Disagreements between parents and grandparents over parenting choices like discipline, meals and TV time can strain family relationships, a new poll finds. More...
U.S. Grandparents Are Raising Millions of Kids, and It's Tough
Nearly 3 million children in the United States are being raised by grandparents, and life has placed these kids on a rocky road toward adulthood, a new study reports. More...
Child Care Stresses, Hunger Are Harming U.S. Families During Pandemic
With everyday life turned upside down, efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are taking a toll on the well-being and health of American families, a new poll reveals. More...
Many U.S. Homes Too Cramped to Stop COVID-19's Spread
People with COVID-19 are told to keep their distance from family members to protect them from infection. But a new study finds that one-fifth of U.S. homes are too small for that to happen. More...
With Pandemic-Related Stress, Abuse Against Kids Can Surge
Stress from social distancing and isolation to stop the spread of COVID-19 can lead to increased family violence at home, Tulane University experts say. More...
Love During Lockdown: Survey Shows How Couples Have Coped
As U.S. states issued stay-at-home orders in March and April, one of many questions was how couples would fare under lockdown together. Now a new survey offers an initial snapshot: some more arguments, regular declarations of love, and a good dose of same-old, same-old. More...
With Nursing Homes on Lockdown, Stay Connected With Loved Ones
Social restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic can be especially hard for people who can't visit loved ones with Alzheimer's disease who are in nursing homes. More...
AHA News: Instead of a Tie, Think About Healthy Gifts and Gratitude for Father's Day
In this year of social distancing and economic uncertainty, dad probably doesn't need a new tie for Father's Day. Instead, it might be time to mark the occasion with creativity – and a little push in a healthy direction. More...
Pandemic Lockdown Increases Child Abuse Risk
Hunkering down during the coronavirus pandemic has stressed families and raised the risk for child abuse, Penn State researchers report. More...
Keeping Harmony in the Family During Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has families spending plenty of "quality time" together, but living under the same roof 24 hours a day can tax relationships, an expert in child development says. More...
Frozen Donor Eggs May Lead to Fewer Births Than Fresh Ones
But statistics might not tell full story, experts say. More...
Resources
Articles
- Introduction to Family & Relationship Issues
- Healthy Communication Skills
- Effective Conflict Resolution Skills
- Skills and Spills Along the Path of Relational Conflict
- Navigating Different Types of Conflict Between Parents and Children
- Get Through the Holidays with Humor and Grace: Four Strategies for Couples and Families
- The Challenge of Mixed or Blended Families
- Dealing Constructively With Conflict in an Intimate Relationship
- 24 Tips for Conflict Resolution in an Intimate Relationship
- Repairing Damage to an Intimate Relationship While Having Conflict
News
- AHA News: Pandemic Pods Offer Social Relief, But There Are Risks
- Saying 'I Understand' Makes a Real Difference, Study Shows
- Caring for Elderly Loved Ones During a Holiday Lockdown
- Give Your Family the Gift of Regular Exercise
- Poll: 1 in 3 Parents Pick Holiday Gathering Over COVID Safety
- College Kid Coming Home for Thanksgiving? Here's How to Keep Your Family Safe
- AHA News: Despite the Pandemic, Keep Social Connections Strong This Holiday Season
- Think 'Virtual' for Family Gatherings During the Holidays
- When Your Spouse Gripes About Aging, It Might Harm Your Health
- Spouses Share a Lot – Including Heart Health, Study Shows
- 15 more
- Kids' Hospitalizations Accompany Rising Unemployment Rates: Study
- Most American Families Facing Financial Danger During Pandemic: Poll
- COVID Conflicts Are Putting Big Strains on Relationships
- Why Some Gifts Are Better-Received Than Others
- When Parents, Grandparents Don't Agree on Childrearing Choices
- U.S. Grandparents Are Raising Millions of Kids, and It's Tough
- Child Care Stresses, Hunger Are Harming U.S. Families During Pandemic
- Many U.S. Homes Too Cramped to Stop COVID-19's Spread
- With Pandemic-Related Stress, Abuse Against Kids Can Surge
- Love During Lockdown: Survey Shows How Couples Have Coped
- With Nursing Homes on Lockdown, Stay Connected With Loved Ones
- AHA News: Instead of a Tie, Think About Healthy Gifts and Gratitude for Father's Day
- Pandemic Lockdown Increases Child Abuse Risk
- Keeping Harmony in the Family During Coronavirus Pandemic
- Frozen Donor Eggs May Lead to Fewer Births Than Fresh Ones
Questions and Answers
- Personality Disorder or Just a Horrible Person
- Husband Jealous of my Friends and Family
- Is it Just a Name?!
- She's Lied About Everything
- My Family is Ruining my Relationship With my Boyfriend
- What Is Wrong With Me ?
- My Boyfriend's Children Won't Accept Me....
- Does my Boyfriend Have Feelings For His Ex Wife?
- I Have Bulimia
- Arranged Marriage
- 225 more
- When is Enough, Enough?
- Breaking Up
- Soon to be 15 Year Old Step Daughter Who is Physically Abusive to Family Members
- I Have Everything I Ever Wanted. Why am I so Miserable?
- Should I Stay or Should I Go?
- Wife's Behavior
- Step-Daughter is Deliberately Abusive
- Is my Sister a Pathological Liar?
- Lost in Limbo
- 19 Year Old Daughter
- Need Help in Building the Bridges
- Lack of Affection and Intimacy
- Is He Seeing Someone?
- Marriage Question
- Respect + Anger Managment
- My Husband With Daughter......
- Resentment-Controlling Wife/Passive-Agressive Husband
- Getting Married, Stepsons With Awful Tempers
- Adult Son Interferes with Our Relationship
- Co-Dependent Mother
- Can My Marriage Be Saved?
- On and Off Relationship For Almost 10yrs
- I Am Tired of Marriage
- I'm His 2nd Wife. Am I Destined to Play Second Fiddle to His daughter Forever?
- How do I Get my Husband to the Psychiatrist?
- Is it Inappropriate to Call my Daughter...
- Trying to Save 37 Years of Marriage With My Bipolar Husband
- Alcoholism and Family
- Bipolar Obsessive Thoughts and False Memories
- Crazy Mother In Law Ruining Our Mental Health and Relationship
- Caught In The Middle Caring For Elderly Parent
- I am a Newlywed and Need Help
- Husband's Relationship With His Children
- Substance Abuse
- Chronically Ill Non-Compliant 19 Year Old
- Child With Possible Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- Obsession or Excuse
- The Marriage Corner: How Can I Move Past This?
- The Marriage Corner: Do You Think my Marriage Can be Repaired?
- I am Only 26 Years Old
- My Boyfriend Saved a Picture of a Girl he Slept With in Case we Split up?
- Adoptive Mother of 3 Children - SunFlower
- How to Handle my Mothers State of Mind?
- Joyless
- Should I Fight For My Marriage?
- Homesick and Feeling Stuck.
- Why Does My Wife's Old Boyfriend Bother Me?
- How do We Get Her to Accept Us as Part of The Family?
- Another Woman
- Boyfriends Daughter
- How do I Cope With a Parent Who is Trying to Ruin me?
- Worried About 4-year-old with Depression
- Same Views On So Much, but Can't Get Along As A Couple
- It's Me or It's My Mother?
- Considering Divorce After Several Deaths in The Family
- Schizophrenia
- Schizophrenic Relapse !
- Please Help Me..
- My 19 Year Old Daughter is Out of Control
- My 19 Year Old Son
- I Desperately Want to Make This Work
- Help!!!
- Marraige Life of my Parents
- Is This Abuse and What Should I Do?
- My Girlfriend's Family Is Ruining Our Relationship
- I Feel Like I Have Failed - - May 20th 2010
- Relationship With My Bipolar and ADHD Girlfriend
- Huge Disapointment With My Husband
- I Don't Really Care About Anything. What Should I Do?
- What Should I do?
- My Father, The Sociopath...
- What is Wrong?
- What Should I do With my 19 Year-Old Daughter's Anger Issue?
- Dominating Mother
- How to Help Our College Age Son with Depression and Addiction
- Can My Marriage be Saved?
- Personal Hygiene
- Help Me Please. What is Going On With Me?
- Parenting a Bipolar Child, Not Quite a Child, Not Quite an Adult
- Am I Being Used?
- Is This Jealous Behaviour Normal In a Child?
- Grandson Behavior
- Husband's Addiction
- Help or Do Nothing?
- Pregnant Again
- Concerned
- Are my past sexual fantasies dangerous and unusual?
- It is finally an emergency. We need help. Please.
- Trauma and Drama: Why are friends and family rejecting me?
- Why is my mom following me around to take over my life?
- Does my husband have bipolar although the doctors said he doesn't?
- Fear of death and dying
- how to ask if the pics are her?
- Unhappy Marriage
- Did I push them too much?
- How do you turn your back on your 19 year old daughter?
- What To Do With a Dysfunctional Past
- SHOULD GRANDPARENTS INSIST ON SEEING A GRANDCHILD
- My husband wants to leave me
- My husband no longer believes
- My Son's Problem
- Why do I beat myself up over what they think?
- Bipolar sister, Narcissist boyfriend
- Understanding my son
- Worried about my son
- Child jealous of moms relationship with her new husband
- This guy I bully
- Is There Help Out There? Lonely Mother of Three
- Am I Depressed?
- Should I Give Up On This Marriage?
- dealing with demanding mother
- can you give me some advice please?
- 17 year old running the house
- Out of control 24 year old sister
- My needy son hates my boyfriend. How can I avoid choosing one over the other?
- voice in my head
- two intelligent adults who feel they don\'t have friends
- 19 Year Old Daugter--Out of control
- 17 yr old refuses help with bi-polar disorder
- Teen in Full Retreat
- out of control 16 year old nephew
- Depression? Bi-Polar? Personality Disorder?
- i need help with my sister
- Get Supported
- Forgotten or just ignored?
- Dealing with a family member's complete personality change
- Mother showering & sleeping in same bed with 5 year old
- Disbelief
- Zoloft - good or bad
- my little sister
- Unattractive regardless, why bother?
- Coping with Narcissistic Behavior
- How to Deal with the Loss of Family
- husband\'s anger
- Did I Love my husband and still abuse him emotionally
- I have a hard time making friends with other guys
- How to communicate to a \'feeler\'
- homesick
- how can i control morbid jealousy
- How can I open up and become my old self again?
- Advice for my unhappily married friend
- How can I tell the difference?
- Cannot support old friend in her affair
- Is Something Wrong With Her?
- Need to find a reason for the abuse
- Mom's Unlisted Number
- How to help a Womanizing friend?
- 'Extremely controling' wife and passive husband
- A Habitual Liar's Lament
- the way out is through the door
- Drug Addict Son
- Angry At Ex-Boyfriend
- Violent Sister
- When Will My Boyfriend Grow Up?
- A Marriage Outside The Caste
- Angry Mom
- Seeing A Married Man
- Disordered Family Member Behavior
- My Roommate
- A Mean, Verbally Abusive Woman
- Stepson With Personality Disorder
- Mom's Protector
- Busted By A 5-Year-Old
- Getting Along With Narcissistic Relatives
- Possibly Molested Daughter
- Dirty Niece
- Helping My Sister
- Congenital Laziness
- Blossoming Paranoia?
- Is Anxiety A Hereditary Factor?
- Enmeshed With Mum
- Hypochondriac Daughter
- Abusive Father
- Going Crazy
- Self-Abusive Step-Daughter
- (Wo)man In The Middle
- Paranoid Depression
- Withdrawn Brother
- Dysfunctional Family
- Paranoia
- My Mother Is Ruining My Life
- Cowardly Stepdad
- Daughter's Violent Marriage
- My Father Dislikes Him
- Histrionic Sister-in-Law
- Long-Distance Support
- Personality Disordered Grandmother
- Do I Tell My Children I'm Depressed?
- Father In Romania
- Mom's Venting
- Unhappy In An Arranged Marriage
- Toxic Parents
- A Situation For Tough Love?
- Avoiding Her Parents
- Boarding School Blues
- Depression Affects The Entire Family
- Internet Relationship
- I Want To Leave, But For The Children ...
- Public Menace
- Somatization and Hypochondrias
- Self-Injuring Sister
- Family Boundaries
- Dealing with Divorce
- Trashed House
- Relationship Triangulation
- What To Treat First?
- Love Triangle
- Problematic Parents
- His Mother is Ruining Our Relationship
- Managing Priorities
- Time to Cut the Apron Strings
- Mommy's New Boyfriend
- Busy and Wanting
- Over-Protective Mother
- He's Not Himself
- Jealous of My Fiance's Family
- Young Love
- Different Religions
- My Husband's Daughter...
- My Dad the Dictator
- My Children Aren't Speaking..
- Dogs Instead of Children?
- My Wife is Depressed
- Falling Apart
- Problems with My Daughter
Book & Media Reviews
- 12 and Holding
- A Lethal Inheritance
- A Parent's Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism
- A Stir of Bones
- Alone Together
- Always On Call
- Angels
- Artemis Fowl
- Bad Girls Club
- Becoming Anna
- 105 more
- Being the Other One
- Bowen Theory's Secrets
- Boys Will Put You on a Pedestal (So They Can Look Up Your Skirt)
- Breaking Point
- Caring for a Child with Autism
- Caring in Remembered Ways
- Claws
- Closer
- Crispin
- Daughter of the Queen of Sheba
- Dirty Details
- Divorce Poison
- Empress of the World
- Epileptic
- Every Visible Thing
- Family First
- Family Therapy
- Four Corners
- Friction
- Gandhi's Way
- Georgia Under Water
- Getting over Getting Mad
- Getting the Love You Want
- Getting the Love You Want Audio Companion
- Happiness Sold Separately
- Hope's Boy
- How Families Still Matter
- How to Keep Your Teenager Out of Trouble and What to Do If You Can't
- I Don't Know How She Does It
- I Only Say This Because I Love You
- Imagining Robert
- Inside the American Couple
- It's Love We Don't Understand
- Jakarta Missing
- Jumping the Scratch
- Last Chance Saloon
- Life's Work
- Live Through This
- Love Sick
- Loving Someone With Bipolar Disorder
- Mad House
- Making Babies, Making Families
- Making Sense of Suicide
- Making the Run
- Making the Run
- Mom's OK, She Just Forgets
- My Heartbeat
- Necessary Noise
- Notes on a Scandal
- Nothing to Hide
- Orgasms
- Out of the Dust
- Planet Janet
- Pop & Me
- Raising America
- Ray's a Laugh
- Relationship Rescue
- Reviving Ophelia
- Rick Sings
- Running with Scissors
- Secrets of a Passionate Marriage
- Sex, Family, and the Culture Wars
- Someone Like You
- Song for Eloise
- Special Siblings
- Staying Connected to Your Teenager
- Staying Sane When Your Family Comes to Visit
- The Arctic Incident
- The Art of Misdiagnosis
- The Awakening
- The Bastard on the Couch CD
- The Burden of Sympathy
- The Corrections
- The Corrections
- The Dream Bearer
- The Dulcimer Boy
- The Einstein Syndrome
- The Emotional Revolution
- The Eternity Cube
- The Hostile Hospital
- The Inside Story on Teen Girls
- The Little Friend
- The New I Do
- The Normal One
- The OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome
- The Rules of Survival
- The Same Stuff as Stars
- The Steps
- The Twits
- The Vile Village
- The Virgin Blue
- The Visitation Handbook
- The Years of Silence are Past
- Twisted
- Ultimate Judgement
- Understanding Marriage
- Understanding the Borderline Mother
- Unhappy Teenagers
- Wasteland
- What Goes Up
- What It Means to Love You
- What Our Children Teach Us
- When a Parent is Depressed
- Will You, Won't You?
- Zazoo
Links
Videos
- How to Cope with Political Discussions & Keep it Civil this Holiday Season
- Child Abuse and Family Conflict
- Families and Couples Lectures
- Seven Keys to Resolving Family Conflict
- Overcoming Conflict to Achieve a Happy Family
- Resolving Conflicts with Coworkers or Family Members
- Family Fights
- The Mad Family: Anger Management For Children
More Information
Topics
Related Topic Centers
Addictions
Aging & Elder Care
Assessments & Interventions
Career & Workplace
Emotional Well-Being
Life Issues
Parenting & Child Care
Abuse
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Adoption
Autism
Child & Adolescent Development: Overview
Child & Adolescent Development: Puberty
Child Development & Parenting: Early (3-7)
Child Development & Parenting: Infants (0-2)
Child Development & Parenting: Middle (8-11)
Child Development & Parenting:Adolescence (12-24)
Child Development Theory: Adolescence (12-24)
Child Development Theory: Middle Childhood (8-11)
Childhood Mental Disorders and Illnesses
Childhood Special Education
Divorce
Family & Relationship Issues
Intellectual Disabilities
Learning Disorders
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Parenting
Self Esteem
Psychological Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Bipolar Disorder
Conversion Disorders
Depression: Depression & Related Conditions
Dissociative Disorders
Domestic Violence and Rape
Eating Disorders
Impulse Control Disorders
Intellectual Disabilities
Mental Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
Personality Disorders
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Schizophrenia
Sexual Disorders
Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders
Suicide
Tourettes and other Tic Disorders