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The Essential Nature of Family Dinner

The Essential Nature of Family Dinner

Family dinner is essential when members come together at the end of their day with the ones they love. Lasting memories from couples, children, and families are made during these times that will span years to come with favorite meals and traditions. With parent’s and…

Ghosting and Other Breakup Strategies: How to Recover from a Relationship Dead End

Ghosting and Other Breakup Strategies: How to Recover from a Relationship Dead End

You may find it surprising to hear that according to a 2021 YouGov study, 41% of Americans reported to possess some belief in ghosts or spirits of the supernatural. While a discussion of those statistics is beyond the scope of this article, for those of…

Understanding the Impact of Birth Order and Sibling Relationships on Romantic Relationships

Understanding the Impact of Birth Order and Sibling Relationships on Romantic Relationships

One of our most influential and often longest-lasting relationships is with our siblings. Our relationships with them are significant to our development. As our family structure members linked by marriage or bloodline continue to change in the United States, the attachment to our siblings can…

Are You Paying Attention? The Impact of Phubbing on Your Romantic Relationships

Are You Paying Attention? The Impact of Phubbing on Your Romantic Relationships

Do you ever feel like your significant other is always distracted on their phone? Do you feel ignored by your companion due to their phone usage? If so, your significant other may be “phubbing,” which is ignoring one’s significant other to pay attention to their…

On Again, Off Again: Is This Really Healthy for Us?

On Again, Off Again: Is This Really Healthy for Us?

Have you ever been in a relationship where you have been with your partner, then broken up, and then gotten back together? Have you both done this more than once? If you have, you are experiencing something called “relationship cycling,” also known as an “on…

The Essential Element of Forgiveness in Couple and Family Relationships

The Essential Element of Forgiveness in Couple and Family Relationships

Have you ever been unable to forgive someone for wronging you? Maybe someone was unable to forgive you and you couldn’t understand why. In this blog, we will review the factors of forgiveness, dispositional forgiveness, differentiation of self, the way attachment impacts forgiveness, and the…

Turning Away From Connection: The Impact of Pornography

Turning Away From Connection: The Impact of Pornography

Is pornography use harmful to relationships? An ever growing body of research indicates that pornography poses a substantial threat to individuals, couples, families, and society. Many studies conclude that a major impact of pornography is that it causes individuals to turn away from connection in…

Is This a Dealbreaker? How to Detect and Respond to Red Flags in a Romantic Partner

Is This a Dealbreaker? How to Detect and Respond to Red Flags in a Romantic Partner

Is this a red flag that I observed in a potential romantic partner? Is her excessive spending or his substance use a dealbreaker? I (Aleisha) recently got out of a serious, long-term relationship with someone who I knew deep down was not right for me,…

The Impact of Loneliness on Our Relationships

The Impact of Loneliness on Our Relationships

Have you experienced a time when you felt isolated but craved social interaction? Have you ever been in a room full of people but still felt alone? Or have you ever felt distanced from your partner or as if they don’t want to spend time…

Mindfulness and Gratitude from Romantic Relationships through the Parenthood Years

Mindfulness and Gratitude from Romantic Relationships through the Parenthood Years

Every day I try to think about how I can make meaningful changes in my parenting to help improve how my child approaches the world. What will help him establish meaningful relationships? How can I help him learn to cope with any problems he may…

Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood 2023 Conference

Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood 2023 Conference

On June 15th through 17th, Dr. Sibley, Stephanie Lipira, Jessica Lopez, Katherine Smail, and myself had the pleasure of presenting some of our research at the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood (SSEA) 2023 Conference in San Diego, California, at the Hyatt Regency Mission…

Overcoming Challenges in Interracial Romantic Relationships

Overcoming Challenges in Interracial Romantic Relationships

Every interracial relationship is different. However, one idea remains constant in all of these pairings is that race matters. By this, I mean race should not be the determining factor in whether or not you choose a romantic partner, but it should be something that…

Learning How To Navigate a Relationship When Your Partner Has ADHD

Learning How To Navigate a Relationship When Your Partner Has ADHD

Has your romantic partner ever forgot that they had a date planned with you? Or have you ever noticed your partner consistently having difficulty paying attention during a conversation with you? Does your partner ever get stuck daydreaming? Do they get so engrossed with an…

The Impact of Substance Abuse on Couple and Family Relationships

The Impact of Substance Abuse on Couple and Family Relationships

My family has been directly impacted by substance abuse since before I was born, and it has continued to be a presence in my life today. My parents met in 1988 and my father was in recovery from alcoholism. Over the course of their relationship,…

Illinois Council on Family Relations 2023 Conference

Illinois Council on Family Relations 2023 Conference

On March 31st, our research team attended the Illinois Council on Family Relations (ILCFR) 2023 Annual Conference in Charleston, Illinois, at Eastern Illinois University. The whole team (minus Dr. Sibley) had piled into a van and endured the 3-hour drive to Charleston the day before.…

How Traumatic Experiences Can Impact Future Relationships

How Traumatic Experiences Can Impact Future Relationships

Going into any new relationship can be pretty scary. But have you ever thought about what going into a new relationship may look like for someone who has gone through trauma in a past relationship? Whether that trauma was related to domestic violence, sexual abuse,…

How Anxiety Impacts Romantic Relationships

How Anxiety Impacts Romantic Relationships

Being in any kind of relationship with anxiety can be quite intimidating. But have you ever found yourself needing to tell your partner something super important, but you felt too nervous to tell them because you were worried they were going to see you differently…

Are You Staying in Your Relationship for Your Partner’s Sake?

Are You Staying in Your Relationship for Your Partner’s Sake?

There are times when one partner in a relationship wants to leave, but is simply afraid of hurting their partner’s feelings, or scared of what life may be like outside of a now-comfortable relationship. Maybe this is you, or a close friend, but whoever it…