Tips To Stay Cool During Family Arguments

Who could forget the heated dispute between Alec Baldwin and his ex-wife. The way he dealt with his daughter was flat out wrong. My younger brother is a clinical psychologist specializing in children and I can say with certainty that the information provided in this article is correct. If you'd like to know how to turn down the heat when there is a family disagreement...

When I'd call my brother for advice on parenting when we are on the verge of an argument he'd say first, "do not to involve the child." Kids watch parents intensely and how they deal with difficult situations in front of the child is crucial to their long term relationship skills.

From NPR.org

"Remember, the child in some ways identifies with both of those parents, So if the mother is really asking the child to be her sounding board, advocate, or collaborator against the other parent, the child loses the opportunity to feel good about the other parent and is put in a very conflicted situation."

Other good advice in this article include take deep breaths, or what I call 'deep cleansing breaths', also to reassure your love for the child and each other and to not take even little swipes at each other. Read the full article here.