My mother-in-law is very critical, and she makes negative comments about things I say or do, and this really bothers me. My husband is aware and even though he agrees that she is inappropriate, he never sticks up for me or says anything to stop it. It makes family events very uncomfortable. What can I do to encourage my husband to come to my defense?

While the words “employee recognition” and “employee appreciation” are often used interchangeably, they are very different. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for both; however, it is important to understand their differences and apply them correctly for optimal outcomes.

Help! I have a 22 year-old son who lives at home and plays video games all day. He has no motivation to get a job or go to school, and I can't tell if he is being lazy, or something more. It's like he's afraid or he doesn't know what to do with his life, so he does nothing. Friends of his from high school have seemed to move on, found jobs, or started living their life. I thought that might motivate him, but it hasn't. How do I help him find his motivation and get off of the computer?

My husband and I are getting a divorce, but we are amicable. We have been having problems for quite some time and after a lot of couple’s therapy, he came out that he is gay.  As hard as this is, we both know that he needs to be true to who he is. We have two younger children ages 8 and 6 and we want to keep things as normal as possible for them so we have decided to keep the children in the house and he and I will rotate staying at the house every other week. We are going to share an apartment and rotate living there as well. Is this type of arrangement good for children? 

A foster and adoptive mother shares her personal experiences of explosive behavior and how she was able to change her mindset to become proactive in her parenting.

One of the rules with my children is no swearing. But my husband frequently curses which I feel sends mixed messages to our kids! How can I enforce the no swearing rule when it seems to be: do as I say, not as I do?

Have you ever set a goal for yourself or a new intention, and quickly found that it was unsustainable? This happens all too often when we set goals that are just too broad, and this practice is not one we want to instill in our children. Yes, being the best parent you can be is a great end goal, but you need smaller, actionable steps to get you there – and those steps are what should become your goals. 

My mom is very sick. She has cancer and other serious medical conditions. She is still able to care for herself and is highly capable, but she and my dad are horrible about sharing information. I never really know what is going on with her medical condition. My sister can visit them more in person and tends to get more information about the situation, but my sister and I don’t get along and are not currently speaking. My mom has a serious procedure coming up and I really want to know more, but there is just no way I can talk to my sister. I am so upset with my sister for not keeping me in the loop and driving a wedge between us. What should I do to deal with this situation if talking to my sister is not an option?

Luke Spiegelhoff, Clinical Director at Nexus-FACTS, joined KSTP's Minnesota Live to talk about the many benefits of cleaning for your mental health.

Luke Spiegelhoff, Clinical Director at Nexus-FACTS Family Healing, joined KSTP's Minnesota Live to talk about the many benefits of cleaning for your mental health.