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Families and relationships

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Families and relationships
Celebrate and honor the family

The Building Strong Families program helps adults and children find their strengths, build on those strengths and learn skills that create closer ties and stronger families. Stephanie Hofschlaeger photo Read more

Eight reasons young children misbehave

It's important to understand why young children misbehave. Parents can respond more effectively when they know what the problem is. Read more

Balancing responsibilities

Do you ever feel as if you are trying to juggle too many items at the same time? Read more

Reducing TV/Internet time is good for the whole family

Are you hassling the kids every night to do their homework when they want to watch TV, play video games or surf the Internet? Read more

Decision-making skills key to surviving teen years

The one thing that sets the quality and ability of youth apart, more than anything else, are their decision-making skills. Read more

Adult children and aging parents

Members of the baby boomer generation are starting to retire, but that doesn't mean they are entering a carefree phase of life. Their kids may be all grown up, but boomers who still have a living parent are facing new responsibilities. Read more

Relationships in later life

As baby boomers are getting older and living longer, relationships in later life are becoming important to understand. Read more

News

  • The ugly G's: Guilt and grudge
    Friday, January 27, 2012
    COLUMBIA, Mo. – Holding a grudge or feeling guilty can keep you from enjoying all that life has to offer.
  • Avoid a holiday meltdown
    Friday, November 18, 2011
    Columbia, Mo. – We expect the winter holidays to be full of happiness and good will. Just like Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol," we want a fairytale ending where troubles disappear and everyone basks in the glow of holiday spirit. But, "A Tale of Two Cities" might better represent typical holiday madness for many.
  • 8 reasons young children misbehave
    Wednesday, November 9, 2011
    BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.–You’re in the middle of a crowded grocery story and your 3-year-old grabs a candy bar from the shelf. You quietly tell him to put it back. He screams at the top of his lungs and throws himself on the floor. You feel that all eyes are on you and you want to become invisible.
  • Reducing TV/Internet time is good for the whole family
    Tuesday, October 11, 2011
    BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.–Are you hassling the kids every night to do their homework when they want to spend too much time watching TV, playing video games or surfing the Internet?
  • MU Extension in the palm of your hand
    Friday, September 30, 2011
    COLUMBIA, Mo. – Access to University of Missouri Extension expertise is now mobile.
    Media available: 1 photo
  • The ABZzzzs: Set child’s routine for healthy sleep
    Thursday, September 22, 2011
    HIGGINSVILLE, Mo. - Sleep is as important to a child’s growth and development as nutritious food and exercise.
  • Adult children and aging parents
    Wednesday, September 21, 2011
    BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.–Members of the baby boomer generation are starting to retire, but that doesn’t mean they are entering a carefree phase of life. Their kids may be all grown up, but boomers who still have a living parent are facing new responsibilities, notes a University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.
  • 4-H program strengthens family ties between children and incarcerated parents
    Tuesday, September 13, 2011
    CHILLICOTHE, Mo. – Prison isn’t normally thought of as a place to nurture family growth, but one weekend each month dozens of sons, daughters, mothers and grandmothers travel across the state for that very reason.
    Media available: 2 photos
  • Success in school is a family affair
    Monday, August 22, 2011
    OZARK, Mo. — Teachers have children in the classroom for about seven hours a day, but what happens during the other 17 hours can make or break your child’s success in school.
  • Taking the cellphone to school
    Monday, August 8, 2011
    BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.–Should parents let kids take their cellphones to school? A University of Missouri Extension 4-H youth development specialist looks at the pros and cons.
  • Time flies, so don't waste it
    Friday, August 5, 2011
    CARTHAGE, Mo. – Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day.  However, the way you use those hours can mean the difference between getting important things done and just doing tasks.
    Media available: 1 photo
  • Lingering recession affects Missouri’s children
    Wednesday, July 6, 2011
    KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The impact of the recession continues to affect Missouri’s children according to a report released this week by the Partnership for Children.
  • Vacationing on a budget
    Thursday, May 26, 2011
    The summer is almost here and that usually means families hit the road. But with high gas prices and a sluggish economy, many are having second thoughts about this year's vacation. Yet family fun doesn't have to break the bank. Learn how in this video news story.
    Media available: 1 video Watch the video
  • Using, not abusing, timeouts for kids
    Wednesday, April 20, 2011
    BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.–Many parents and grandparents use timeouts to remove a misbehaving child to a quiet setting before a no-win situation escalates out of hand. Although a timeout may seem trivial to an adult, it’s remarkably powerful for a child—if managed properly, said a University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.
  • Lasting relationships need more than love
    Tuesday, March 22, 2011
    BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – How do you know if you love someone enough to make a lifetime commitment? At a recent class in Henry County on healthy relationships, one teenager’s response was typical: “You know when you think about them all the time, you want to be with them all the time and you cannot imagine your life without them.”
  • Is there life after retirement?
    Tuesday, March 15, 2011
    BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.–New retirees are often excited about having free time to do what they have long wanted to do. During the first six to 12 months, many retirees will take time to rest, remodel their homes, take trips or engage in other projects. Afterwards, people may start asking, “What do I do now?” or “Now that I am retired, what’s next?”
  • Yoga: An ancient form of exercise is more popular than ever
    Tuesday, February 22, 2011
    COLUMBIA, Mo. – For some, the idea of yoga might conjure images of young and unusually flexible people folding themselves into human origami.
    Media available: 2 photos; 1 videos Watch the video
  • Help children develop a sense of responsibility
    Friday, February 18, 2011
    BLUE SPRINGS, Mo.–Children need to develop a sense of responsibility to be adequately prepared for adult living, says a University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.

Websites

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    Courses

    The following are general-interest families and relationships courses. Browse the menu on the left for courses in more specific families and relationships areas.
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