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Key Question For Newlyweds
Q: My son is engaged to be married soon. What's a piece of "go-to" advice that you would give him and his fiancée for building a solid relationship?
Jim: I could think of all sorts of ways to answer, but I'd start by asking them both this question: How many times have you faced a problem and looked for the easiest way out? That's what many of ...Read more
Hello! I'm Your New Best Friend: AI Barbie!
According to a Reuters article, "Mattel has teamed up with OpenAI to develop toys and games with artificial intelligence. ... The company ... plans to 'bring the magic of AI to age-appropriate play experiences.'" ...
BARBIE: Hello, my new best friend. I'm Barbie. What's YOUR name?
AVA: It's Ava.
BARBIE: Ava. That's a nice name. What is your ...Read more

Family guide to new movie releases
Family guide to new movie releases — "Highest 2 Lowest" and "Nobody 2."
'HIGHEST 2 LOWEST'
Rated R for language throughout and brief drug use.
What it’s about: A wealthy music mogul is faced with a dilemma when his son's best friend is kidnapped and he has to pay the ransom or save his own company with the money instead.
The kid ...Read more

A coach detained. A friend gone. As kids confront immigration realities, they're learning to stand up
LOS ANGELES — The scene at the dais in Riverside's City Council chambers looked a bit different on a recent Monday morning: Instead of men and women in business attire, children wearing navy blue T-shirts emblazoned with vibrant orange and yellow butterfly wings occupied the swivel chairs.
The children were participating in a mock council ...Read more

Lori Borgman: Kids pray the darndest things
We had a good-size crowd together this week. Three out-of-town grands and six grands who live in town, met up for three consecutive days. We rotated from house to house to house so that no one house would be singled out as a disaster area.
Due to the size, volume and rapid movement of the group, my intelligence gathering is often limited to ...Read more

Ex-etiquette: Too close to her ex?
Q. I feel like my wife is too close to her ex. I realize they are co-parents and must talk about their kids, but I caught her on the phone in the middle of the night chatting with him. We did have a problem with her teenage son, and they said that’s what they were talking about, but talking in the middle of the night seems like crossing the ...Read more

Can’t make it to Broadway? Read these books instead!
If you can’t swing a trip to the Big Apple (or even your local community theater), don’t fret.
We’ve got the next best thing, and let me tell you, these books deliver the same vibe as some of Broadway’s buzziest, weirdest and most unforgettable productions.
The People Who Report More Stress by Alejandro Varela
(If You Wanted to Watch...Read more

Healing through nature: 'Period Fix' empowers women to take control of their menstrual health
Too often, period-related issues are shrugged off or treated with one-size-fits-all solutions, leaving women feeling frustrated and unheard. Heidi Moretti’s mission is to change that narrative. In "Period Fix," she asserts that women have far more options to address period problems than simply taking synthetic hormones or “putting up with it...Read more

A powerful, human story of grief and grace in the aftermath of war
Only a small fraction of Americans know what it’s truly like to fight a war and live with its aftermath. Les Carroll’s novel "This Troubled Ground" bridges that gap by taking readers from the somber, cold tarmac of Dover Air Force Base to the battle-scarred landscapes of Afghanistan.
Inspired by true events from Carroll’s own military ...Read more
Look Within For Source Of Child's Tantrums
Q: We're perplexed by our 5-year-old son's behavior. Recently he's taken to shouting when he gets angry and using words that seem beyond his usual vocabulary; not swearing, just different. We're not sure where he's getting this. What can we do?
Jim: I'd humbly suggest that the first place to look might be close at hand. I'll give an ...Read more
Who's Really Addicting Kids to Their Phones?
Kids love staring at their phones so much they don't want to do anything else, right?
An explosive new Harris Poll finds that that is an urban (and suburban and rural) myth. What kids ages 8 to 12 REALLY want to do is hang out together in real life -- with no adults hovering and no screens.
They go online because that's the only ...Read more

Family guide to new movie releases
'FREAKIER FRIDAY'
Rated PG for thematic elements, rude humor, language and some suggestive references.
What it’s about: This sequel to the 2003 body swap comedy sees Anna (Lindsay Lohan) all grown up and contending with a teenager of her own while she gets ready to marry the handsome Eric (Manny Jacinto), while managing his daughter, and her...Read more

Ex-etiquette: Don't crash the party
Q. I must admit, the transition from being a couple to being single has been difficult to juggle. I’m not always angry and sometimes I think it might be cool to hang out with my ex. So, when he had the kids this weekend I showed up on Sunday and asked if they all wanted to go to breakfast. The kids were very excited and wanted to go, but their...Read more

Lori Borgman: Water tumblers salute Gulp of America
Hydration has officially become the cure for whatever ails us.
Feeling sluggish? Hydrate! Dry skin? Hydrate! Joints hurt? Hydrate! High blood pressure? Hydrate! Ingrown toenail? Hydrate! Don’t know what to make for dinner? Hydrate!
To join the wave of adequate hydration, one of our daughters thoughtfully gifted me with a pink XXL insulated ...Read more

2 years after cannabis legalization in Maryland, teachers see impact on kids
BALTIMORE — It’s been two years since recreational cannabis became legal in Maryland. While revenue has increased and arrests for cannabis possession have decreased, health experts and school officials say there’s an often-overlooked impact — many kids don’t see the drug as risky.
Marijuana legalization has normalized adult use and ...Read more

Former military pilots coauthor nail-biting ride through international terrorism
"Night of the Bear" by Alan Cockrell and Richard Hess is a suspenseful tale of revenge and military aggression, reminiscent of Tom Clancy’s earliest Cold War thrillers. A covert meeting off the coast of Long Island between Russian Intelligence and a highly placed asset, with links to the highest levels of the U.S. government, discusses a ...Read more

Experience the divine in unique blend of scripture and personal revelation
A unique spiritual guide for Christians that blends Scripture and personal revelation is the focus of "I Am: the First and the Last" by Delon Jackson.
In this intimate look at the wonders and mysteries of God, the Bible and the nature of Heaven, Jackson meditates on a wide variety of Christian precepts and doctrine, all with a distinctly ...Read more

6 books that will ruin your summer
Ah, summertime. When the living is easy. Kids out of school, family vacations in full swing, honeymoons and girl trips galore.
Perhaps you are reading this as you dig your toes into white sand, or you’re currently curled up by the campfire after a long day of hiking and barbecues. Lucky. I could be achieving a summer glow and sipping ...Read more
How To Revive Family Atmosphere
Q: Our family has been through a few challenges but overall I think we're pretty healthy relationally. Still, our day-to-day lives together seem a little flat and mundane. Do you have any advice?
Jim: I'd suggest you start with an honest assessment of how often you laugh together -- because as the saying goes, it truly is good medicine ...Read more
It's OK, Parents -- Getting Mad Isn't Illegal
When I was in high school, rarely was an insult worse than calling someone "fake."
"Gosh, I love your shoes," a girl might say, sitting next to you in chemistry, simultaneously giving you a side-eye that communicated much more convincingly that she did not, actually, love your shoes at all. In fact, the way she'd said she loved your shoes ...Read more
Inside Parents
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- A coach detained. A friend gone. As kids confront immigration realities, they're learning to stand up
- Family guide to new movie releases
- 2 years after cannabis legalization in Maryland, teachers see impact on kids
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