Questions and Answers

Strengthen your relationship with these three small but mighty communication skills.

Reduce parenting conflict and strengthen your marriage with five research-based strategies.

Parenting is deeply rewarding, but it can also be exhausting. Between caring for young children, managing school schedules, and balancing household and work responsibilities, parents often find themselves drained at the end of the day.

Learn practical ways to recognize change, create meaningful traditions, and strengthen your relationship through every chapter of life.

In this month's HEART Bunch video, the group shares about how to show yourself love and provides valuable resources.

Learn from Utah State University's HEART Team on how to support a loved one in recovery.

Learn to spot crisis warning signs, respond with care, and know when to get help—plus tips, resources, and what to avoid.

Single parenting can be hard, but these tips can help you learn to go easier on yourself.

Self-care helps parents prevent burnout and nurture stronger bonds.

Ease sibling transitions by supporting firstborns with routines, empathy, and one-on-one time.

Discover how embracing your partner’s quirks can lead to stronger, more resilient relationships

Sensate focus boosts intimacy, reduces anxiety & builds connection through mindful touch, communication & sexual mindfulness.

Support your grieving partner with patience, presence, and compassion. Everyone grieves differently—listen actively, offer practical help, and avoid minimizing their pain. Thoughtful support strengthens your bond and helps them heal in their own time.

Discover how to identify signs of codependency in your relationship by watching our insightful Marriage Celebration video.

Feeling tension in your relationship? Resentment could be the culprit! Watch this video to learn how to spot it, address it, and rebuild your connection.

The kids are grown and gone—what now? The empty nest can feel like a void, but it’s also a golden opportunity to deepen intimacy and rediscover your relationship.

Explore strategies for navigating difficult conversations, focusing on emotional triggers, avoiding negative patterns, and using the Gottman Method for healthy communication.

Struggling to find time for your partner? Follow these 7 simple steps to create more quality moments together!

Healthy relationships foster respect, trust, honesty, and communication, shaping positive future interactions for children. While unhealthy relationships involve control, criticism, and dishonesty. Build strong connections for lifelong impact.

If you and your partner have trouble finding couple friends to spend time with, you are not alone. Watch this video for some advice on ways to turn making friends into a fun activity to do together.

Talking to kids about difficult subjects—like loss, mental health, or life changes—can be intimidating. However, fostering open communication is key to building trust and helping them navigate life’s complexities.

Parental screen time impacts kids—model balance to build connection.

Busy life making it hard to connect? Build deeper bonds with your partner through small, intentional rituals—simple moments that nurture love and intimacy, even on the busiest days.

Strengthen relationships by sharing joy, communicating supportively, and showing consistent care. Build trust and connection through small, meaningful actions.

Healthy friendships boost longevity, while strong relationships need clear boundaries and communication. Prioritize your partner, set expectations, and build trust to manage opposite-gender friendships and protect intimacy.

The holiday season is upon us and with that comes the thoughts of family, friends, and festive times. However, with all the holiday cheer some people may feel a little lonely.

Building trust with your child is key to ensuring they will be willing to discuss tough topics with you. Consider these tips on how to begin to build or strengthen trust with your child.

Learn more about Love Languages with Elizabeth Davis, Associate Extension Professor.

You’re not alone in feeling like you’re being pulled in a million directions. It’s important to recognize that while your responsibilities might not change, your ability to manage and reduce stress can improve significantly.

Balancing life’s demands can be challenging, especially when managing work, family, and personal interests. In fact, balancing work duties and family responsibilities is an ongoing struggle for many American adults.

Negotiated time-outs are a way couples can de-escalate conflict and resolve arguments in a calm and logical way.

In 2017–2018, 28% of middle schoolers and 16% of high schoolers reported bullying, while cyberbullying affected 33% and 30% respectively, according to national school safety data.

Video from the Marriage Celebration Event in February 2024.

Caregiver support varies by need—ranging from help with daily tasks and personal care to emotional support and medical management (CDC, AARP).

Perhaps at times you may have felt symptoms, such as increased anxiety and stress, feelings of helplessness, trouble with relationships, etc., and wondered about how it may be affecting you and/or your family.

Caregiving can be very rewarding, but it also can be very stressful and burdensome. Caregiving can induce emotional, financial, psychological, and physical strain.

If your child dislikes loud noises, scratchy clothes, or surprises, and is highly observant or emotionally deep, they may be a highly sensitive child.

While these relationships can be complex and tricky at times, there are ways of navigating them to create a harmonious family life. A key strategy to use when managing in-law dynamics is maintaining a united front.

Struggling to express emotions in your relationship? This video teaches how to tune into your body’s signals, identify emotional needs, and communicate them clearly to your partner.

When it comes to parenting, understanding your child’s temperament can provide important insight into what strategies might work better than others.

It’s common to want a partner to change. Research by Cloutier & Peetz (2016) explores how this desire impacts relationship satisfaction.

Breakups can be painful—whether you initiated it or not. Losing someone you cared for, invested time in, and made sacrifices for leaves an emotional void that takes time to heal.

Research shows that a parent's well-being directly influences their child’s development. One simple way to reduce stress and boost emotional health is by keeping a gratitude journal—acknowledging and expressing the good in life (Toprak, 2023).

Discover how introversion and extroversion impact intimate relationships in this video. Explore the challenges and rewards of navigating differing socialization needs for a happier, healthier connection.

The list can go on and on. All this rushing about can result in feeling a desperate need for more time to spend enjoying our family. Some adjustments may be needed to adapt to all the hustle and bustle. How do we spend our time wisely?

The initial reaction to an autism diagnosis can bring many emotions. Some parents have reported feeling “grief and uncertainty…as they realize the unending nature of this disability” (Lutz et al., 2012, p. 206).

In this video Ashley, Gabi and Melissa discuss how to work through grief during the holidays. They offers several methods for managing grief and loss during a difficult holiday season.

Some of the most treasured relationships that exist in families are relationships between parents and children. These can be the source of the greatest joys, but likewise the source of the greatest pains.

Did you know that playing as a family is not just fun but also an investment in your child’s development and the strength of your family’s relationship?

In this video Elizabeth Davis will discuss how to work through religious differences with your partner. She offers several methods for discussion and understanding.

Retirement can bring joy—but also challenges to marriage. Research shows relationship satisfaction often improves, though couples may face a rocky transition period.

Social emotional learning is valuable for children and their outlooks on life, as well as the development of problem-solving skills and perseverance in everyday activities.

Resentment in relationships could potentially be traced back to feeling we have been mistreated, neglected, or taken advantage of. As a result of such strong feelings, the positive emotions of love and trust can weaken.

When trying to gain clarity on what your boundaries you should have in your romantic relationship, start by identifying what makes you feel uncomfortable during your interactions.

"The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.” The profound effects of loneliness can be felt by anyone and are best helped by a strong community.

Substance use affects both individuals and their families. Loved ones often notice early changes in behavior, emotions, or thinking, highlighting the broader impact of addiction.

Researchers and therapists have found several effective strategies for reducing pornography use. If you’re trying to avoid pornography, consider some of the following research-based and clinically tested strategies.

In these videos the Be Epic, Escape the Vape team go over Parent Awareness, Parent Perception and Parent Involvement to help parents prevent youth from using e-cigarettes.

Coparenting is important for children’s well-being but can be challenging. By understanding supportive vs. non-supportive coparenting strategies, as well as tips for effectively resolving conflicts, parents can develop a health coparenting relationship.

Sharing family stories is also a powerful way to strengthen and unite family members. Family stories with examples of overcoming challenges can help younger generations find strength to overcome their own struggles.

Valentine’s Day is here again and if you are like most couples, this is the one day out of the year when you make it a point to celebrate your love by going out for a nice evening and giving each other gifts and cards with sentimental messages.

While health goals are common, the new year is also a great time to set relationship resolutions—like becoming a more supportive partner.

At some point or another, most people have had the experience of misunderstanding their partner. Sometimes people don’t say what is really on their minds.

There are things that won’t be cleaned every week but, at least once a month everything in each room will be cleaned. This was life changing for my family.

Learning to strengthen your parental attachment with your teens can help them develop choice and responsibility without dangerous behaviors. Start today by setting limits, showing respect, supporting safe exploration, and regulating your emotions.

Parenting teens with a focus on patience and love is crucial. Start this practice today by creating safety, staying connected, and instilling confidence in your teens.

As much as we want the emotional obsession to continue forever, it would be difficult to sustain as we wouldn’t get anything accomplished because we would constantly be thinking of love.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health diagnoses, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that 48 million people experience one of the several types of anxiety disorders at some point in their lives.

While we are all learning to navigate these changes in addition to other normal life challenges, parents also have the added responsibility to help their children. Consider these tips on how to help your child successfully navigate changes.

Afterschool programs provide opportunities for youth who may be struggling with social interactions to better understand situations around them and find healthy outlets and coping strategies.

Pornography use commonly causes issues in couple relationships, such as reduced trust, relationship quality, and long-term sexual quality.

The first day of school seems to come more quickly each year. It can be difficult to see summer end and get back into the day-to-day responsibilities of classes and homework.

Dad needs the chance to be involved and to have opportunities to bond with his baby as well. How can dad share the joy and the work of this new bundle of love?

One of the most challenging things for many parents is figuring out how to deal with their child’s misbehavior. It can be incredibly frustrating for parents when children don’t do what they ask or do just the opposite of what they want them to do.

Children with ADHD may experience up to 500,000 negative interactions yearly with parents, peers, and teachers, highlighting the social and emotional challenges they face.

Excessive screen time may lead to challenges such as not enough outdoor or physical activity, less interaction with family or friends, sleep challenges and increased mood problems (depression, anxiety, etc.).

Having children is great, but about 67% of new parents experience a drop in marital satisfaction after a new birth of a child. So, with so many things going on, what can you do to nourish your relationship with your spouse?

Sibling rivalry is a common occurrence in family life where siblings compete, argue, and vie for parental attention. It can manifest in various ways, including verbal disputes, physical fights, and feelings of jealousy or resentment.

Though emotions are extremely beneficial for connecting, it is also important to remember that emotions can have just as much of a negative effect as a positive effect in a relationship.

Patience boosts well-being, strengthens relationships, and supports goal achievement—but it’s often hard to practice amid daily stress and challenges.

A confident child has a strong self-image, feels unconditionally loved, and believes they can handle challenges. As a parent, where do you begin?

New relationships often start with excitement, but over time, the novelty fades and real-life stresses and imperfections emerge.

During the school year, children have routines and scheduled activities, so by making a summer schedule, including planned summer camps and events, children will have some consistency between both households.

It might sound strange, but have you ever considered how much dating is like doing a research project? I say this because at the beginning, when you are first getting to know each other, both of you are collecting data.

Religious or spiritual differences can cause tension if not handled with respect. Yet, many mixed-faith couples thrive through mutual understanding and acceptance.

In moments of distress, you may wonder, “How can I stop feeling like this?”According to dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), an evidence-based psychotherapy model, you have four ways to respond to difficult emotions in any situation (Linehan, 2015).

When you hear, “date night,” what do you picture? Whether it’s been years since your last date night or you’re looking for ways to shake up your routine, we’ve got a few ideas for you.

Here are some calming practices you can try at the end of a stressful day to calm your mind and body. This will reduce the negative impacts stress can have on your health and relationships.

Telling someone you are not interested in dating them is uncomfortable and can be a painful experience. Here are a few principles that can be applied to a variety of circumstances.

We all have personal boundaries that we want to be respected. This includes boundaries in romantic relationships, but how do we know if these rules we set are healthy?

Work-family balance isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s an ongoing process. Small, consistent steps lead to lasting change and stronger family relationships (Lupu & Ruiz-Castro, 2021).

Later-life stepfamilies face challenges similar to those with younger stepchildren. With effort from both parents and adult children, the transition can be smoother and more positive.

The benefits connected to cooking are truly amazing and can enhance life, but there is also a benefit for marriage relationships.

Child meltdowns—crying, screaming, or lashing out—often happen when kids are tired, hungry, or frustrated and can’t express their feelings.

Let’s discuss how to find someone you believe to be competent in the care of your child and the affordability of care.

Have you ever been so upset with your partner that you can’t think straight? It is normal to have moments of frustration and anger in relationships. How we manage strong emotions in our relationships is what matters.

Adults often find it more difficult to develop new friendships or maintain existing friendships. However, you are never too old, and it is never too late to reach out to old friends or make new friends.

Family volunteer projects strengthen bonds by working toward a shared goal. Volunteering together helps families connect, learn about each other, and enjoy meaningful time while serving others.

Blame often leads to conflict and resentment in relationships. Learn five effective tips to express yourself clearly and calmly with loved ones—without placing blame.

In a busy world with instant access to technology and constant stimulation, it has never been more important to slow down and live in the present moment, or in other words, to be mindful.

According to Bradberry & Greaves (2009), relationship management is how you build a bond with others over time. Maintaining a healthy relationship in which both partners’ needs are being met takes work, effort, and understanding.

While it can be challenging to not feel guilty for taking time for self-care, we can’t effectively offer love, support, and connection when we are tapped out.

January brings a fresh start and new goals. While many people often think about individual goals, couple and family goals are important too!

To curtail uncomfortable situations during the holiday season it pays to be prepared. The following suggestions will help you establish guidelines that can give you confidence as you face the holidays.

By implementing these tips with your coworker, family member, partner, or others who have different opinions, you will be better equipped to have productive dialogue about seemingly irreconcilable issues.

Each holiday season brings new tech gift requests—from phones to gaming systems. If you're unsure whether a tech toy is the right choice for your child, here are key factors to consider.

Supportive and ongoing communication is essential to healthy relationships but requires active participation from all sides. We can start by following these tips to build an environment in which our closed-off partners feel safe opening up.

Ever watched someone and guessed how they feel by their body language or tone? That’s social awareness—one key part of emotional intelligence.

Most people do not automatically trust someone they do not know. They determine trust by giving a little of it at the beginning of the relationship, observing behavior, and then giving or rescinding it based on their perception of the person's behavior.

Research from Harvard shows couples who regularly express gratitude feel closer and more positive. Gratitude also boosts oxytocin, strengthening emotional bonds.

There are many steps one can take to combat feelings of loneliness and poor mental health during the holiday season. Taking steps from the examples provided may help improve your mood and help abate loneliness.

Gaslighting is a manipulative tactic where someone makes another person doubt their memory or sanity—a term now commonly used in conversations (Johnson, 2021).

Parents want their children to succeed in life and hope that participation in these activities will help them do that. Enriching a child’s life is a good thing, however, overscheduling can take a toll on you, your child and your family.

Parenting plans coordinate rules, schedules, schooling, and transitions between homes. When creating a parenting plan, parents should be flexible, committed, and considerate of their children’s perspective.

Why do individuals often wait to charge their emotional health batteries? It takes practice to notice when one’s emotional battery is low.

Starting college can feel overwhelming for students—and just as tough for parents. Here are tips to help build independence in college-bound students.

Loneliness is common, but there are effective ways to overcome it. Try these simple tips to combat loneliness and build meaningful connections.

How can we avoid the guilt and better balance our child’s needs with life’s demands? Quality time and some good old fashion play.

Research shows there is power in families eating together. The physical benefits of a healthy meal are important, but emotional health and family wellness are also developed by consistently enjoying meals together (Lawrence & Plisco, 2017).

Parents want the best for their children, including giving them needed emotional support. While positive encouragement may seem like a good parenting concept, research has shown that encouragement actually improves children’s behavior.

Having self-awareness means being able to identify our emotions and triggers, which helps us understand why we feel the way we do. It is through this process that we identify areas in need of improvement.

If you are a newlywed (or soon to be newlywed) and wondering how you can set your marriage up for success here are some researched-backed tips to help you in that process.

For many parents the teen years are frustrating as their children’s mood and attitudes change and progress to maturity. But there are some things parents can do to encourage teens to be more open.

Relationships can be one of the greatest joys in life. Relationships can also be complicated. So, how do you know if you are in a healthy relationship? Check out these seven signs of a healthy relationship.

If handled correctly, the stress you feel does not have to be a barrier to happy relationships. Here are some helpful tips on ways you can manage your stress for an improved home and work experience.

Active listening means being fully present in conversations. Like any skill, it takes practice—but it can reduce frustration and strengthen relationships.

Divorce can be tough on both parents and children. Understanding its impact helps parents support their child’s emotional health and build resilience (Clarke-Stewart et al., 2000; Emery, 2006).

Emotion Coaching is a five-step method that helps parents understand their child’s emotions. It supports better friendships, emotional regulation, school success, and overall well-being.

When a family experiences a loss, the grieving process also varies from member to member. It can be difficult to have patience with one another when it feels like the loss is the same, yet grieving the loss is different for each member of the family.

Expressive writing—a journaling method focused on deep emotions—can boost well-being and relationships. Just 15–20 minutes a day for a few days can make a meaningful impact (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005).

Conflict resolution involves dealing with emotions, problem-solving, and different levels of persuasion. Luckily, there isn’t a one-size-fits all approach to resolving disputes.

Playing with your child boosts self-esteem and strengthens your bond. Child-led play supports decision-making, self-discovery, and emotional growth.

Consider making plans in the following three areas. Involving every family member in the discussion and decisions can increase the commitment to and excitement for family summer plans.

Sharing household responsibilities is key to a healthy relationship. Marriage expert Sheri Stritof offers practical steps couples can take to divide chores more equally.

Co-dependency is often linked to addiction recovery, like in Alcoholics Anonymous. However, co-dependent patterns can also form from other types of relationship stress—not just addiction.

EI researchers suggest that we move away from thinking about emotions such as anger and guilt as “bad” and joy and excitement as “good.” Instead, they encourage us to think about them as signals that we need to interpret.

Mister Rogers was right—no act of kindness is ever wasted. Even small kind acts boost happiness, strengthen relationships, and build trust and social bonds.

Self-care isn’t about indulgence—it’s about intentional actions that support your mental, emotional, physical, social, and professional well-being.

Living apart may cause stress, but families can strengthen relationships and stay connected by employing a few strategies.

It’s often said that having healthy personal boundaries is important, but is it selfish to consider your own needs when someone wants something from you? What are healthy boundaries and how do we set them?

Empty nest years are often seen as a time of fading intimacy, but research shows otherwise. True intimacy—built on trust, emotional closeness, and open communication—can grow stronger during this stage (Timmerman, 1991).

Feeling stressed or disconnected from life and relationships? In today’s fast-paced world, stress is common—but even small actions like laughter can boost mood and well-being.

Unsure how to answer kids’ questions like “Where do babies come from?” You’re not alone. Talking about sexuality in a positive, age-appropriate way supports lifelong sexual health (Stone et al., 2013; Talmon & Ginzburg, 2018).

Why is it so hard to communicate about pain? There may be many reasons for this. One answer is because pain is difficult to see. While the experience of pain itself is universal, the experience for each person is incredibly different.

When a loved one begins recovery from substance use, knowing how to help can be tough. Family and friends play a key role—here are five ways to support them through recovery.

Infidelity is often misunderstood. Myths like “someone must be to blame” or “the relationship can’t recover” are common—but not always true.

Have you found yourself falling for a jerk in the past and want things to change? To help you avoid falling for a jerk or becoming a jerk yourself, let’s identify some of the key characteristics of being a jerk.

Strong, lasting relationships thrive on trust, loyalty, and honesty. Feeling secure and not constantly worried about losing your partner is a healthy sign of comfort and connection.

How do we celebrate important milestones, events and stay connected to our loved ones while following medical experts' advice? Below are three tips on how to stay connected during the pandemic and celebrate with family and friend’s long distance.

Stepfamilies are diverse and complex, and building a strong, loving stepfamily takes time, trust, and communication. With patience and commitment, a well-adjusted stepfamily is possible.

Taking time for regular date nights with your sweetheart is not only fun and shows that you care enough to take time for each other, but it can also help you have opportunities to communicate, rekindle the spark, and relieve stress (Wilcox & Dew, 2012).

Personal achievement often feels individual, but team-based goal setting is proving highly effective for success.

The year 2020 has taught us the importance of resilience. And that is true for relationships as much as anything in life. If you want a resilient relationship for 2021 and beyond, there are a couple ideas you can incorporate.

When couples celebrate major anniversaries, the big question is often, 'What’s your secret?' While conflict is natural, maintaining relationship balance is key to long-term happiness.

Strong grandparent-grandchild bonds benefit both generations. Grandparents offer love, wisdom, and support—boosting children’s well-being and emotional development.

Watching your child grow into adulthood is rewarding, but the teen-to-young adult transition can be one of the toughest stages for parents to navigate.

Holiday expectations bring joy and connection, but they can also create stress for couples juggling work, family, and social demands. Discover ways to reduce holiday stress and strengthen your relationship.

One of the biggest challenges in dating is finding someone you like who genuinely likes you back. This mutual connection is the foundation for building a healthy, lasting relationship. But what should you do while waiting for that connection to happen?

Recent challenges have encouraged many of us to reflect on what we are most grateful for in life. Cultivating gratitude can lead to tremendous benefits, and not just during times of crisis.

Prioritizing self-care is essential for healthy relationships. According to relationship expert Dr. John Gottman, proactive self-care creates the foundation for deep, fulfilling connections with ourselves, our partners, and loved ones.

Does it ever feel like your child has pushed your buttons to the point that you are about to lose it? This is a common experience for many parents. When we experience anger, our bodies release adrenaline and our heart rate and blood pressure increase.

This year has brought new parenting challenges. With routines disrupted and online learning added, maintaining stability at home can feel overwhelming—but you’re not alone.

Healthy relationships require some compromise and negotiation from both partners. While it is often easy to see changes that we think others should make, we can’t force people to change.

One of the greatest essentials of any healthy relationship is good communication. It allows you to express thoughts, feelings and needs to produce a common understanding between persons.

Most people only think about communication strategies during conflict—like marital issues or workplace challenges. But effective communication impacts every area of life, not just conflict resolution.

Many couples anticipate reconnecting after kids leave home. With U.S. parents spending nearly four hours daily parenting alone, nurturing the relationship during and after parenting is essential.

Difficult conversations about things like money, relationships, or other emotionally-charged topics can be hard to navigate. These situations can come up in our relationships with friends, with family members, and with co-workers.

This is a great question to ask. Before jumping into the response for this question, take note that author Gary Chapman’s book, the 5 Love Languages, according to recent research, has been understudied.

According to relationship expert John Gottman "94% if the time, the way a discussion starts determines the way it will end." If conversations start harshly or with criticism- the conversation will end with at least as much tension as it began.

With COVID limiting travel and closing parks, many families have stayed home, missing out on road trips and getaways. Yet, research shows vacations boost family bonding, cohesion, and overall well-being.

Money impacts every part of life, especially relationships. Financial stress is the second leading cause of divorce, according to Marriage.com. To protect your relationship, it’s crucial to have positive, open conversations about money with your partner.

Effective communication is tough—especially under stress. When emotions take over, it’s harder to stay calm, see others’ perspectives, and communicate clearly. Poor communication in stressful moments can add more tension instead of relief.

Most pornography addictions begin with exposure between ages 10–13. Teens aged 12–17 are the largest group of online viewers. Early exposure can harm brain development, relationships, and sexual behavior (Safefamilies.org; Lerza, 2018).

COVID-19 reshaped daily life, shifting work, school, and family time into the home. Finding normalcy and connection can be tough—but programs like 4-H can help rebuild family bonds.

Recognizing the need to communicate about the little things is a great first step. If you're looking for proactive ways to strengthen your relationship, here are key tips based on John Gottman’s Sound Relationship House theory.

Dads play a vital role in child development from birth to adulthood. Research shows that involved fathers help children feel emotionally secure, confident, and socially connected.

COVID-19 restrictions have disrupted daily routines for families and students, increasing stress and anxiety. These changes call for extra patience and self-compassion as we adapt to new schedules and expectations.

Graduation marks a major life transition, often celebrated with parties and ceremonies. But in the era of social distancing, many traditional celebrations are canceled. How can we honor graduates when in-person events aren't possible?

Before kids, couples often have more time, money, and energy for connection. Parenting challenges can reduce intimacy, but creativity and understanding each other’s love language can help rebuild meaningful bonds.

If a loved one with mental illness has refused help, you’re not alone. Many face this challenge, and there are various reasons someone may avoid counseling or medication.

One in three people live in blended families. Though I am not a fan of labeling blended families, the term can highlight the unique challenge of finding tolerable ways to blend the lives, experiences, expectations, and dreams of all involved.

As human beings, we need relationships in our lives. We have a need to be connected to others, whether it be with family, friends, or a romantic partner.