phyllis | Her Mentor Center

Author Archives: phyllis

How to Manage Sibling Conflict

by phyllis, June 27, 2013

Tuesday’s blog focused on new research findings – that those who experience psychological aggression, whether from siblings or peers, have increased levels of depression, anger and anxiety. Today, let’s look at how your family can prevent sibling conflicts from accelerating. As parents, we have to ask the hard questions about our kids – is there an imbalance of power, is one usually the victim, are the aggressive behaviors persistent, is there ever an intention to harm? We also need to see the part that we play – do we have … Continue reading →

Posted in parenting kids, stress, well-being, your self | Tagged anxiety, depression, family, fighting, pressure, problem solving, psychological aggression, safe haven, sibling conflict, sibling rivalry | Leave a comment

Sibling Aggression and Mental Health

by phyllis, June 25, 2013

Isn’t sibling rivalry normal? Fights between sisters and brothers are so common they’re often dismissed as just a part of growing up. If you have siblings, of course you’ve affected each other. But a recent study from the University of New Hampshire finds that sibling aggression is associated with increased levels of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents. The researchers, among the first to study sibling aggression across a wide age and geographic range, analyzed data from a sample of over 3,500 children, ages one through 17. They looked … Continue reading →

Posted in parenting kids, stress, well-being | Tagged aggression, bullying, conflict, family, media reporting, mental health, physical aggression, psychological aggression, sibling rivalry, University of New Hampshire study | Leave a comment

The MoonWalk in Manhattan

by phyllis, June 13, 2013

Rosemary and I have a long history. We’ve been friends for 35 years, ever since our husbands coached our sons in basketball. And we’ve worked together online – consulting, blogging, publishing a monthly newsletter, writing articles – for the past 12 years. Ten months ago we embarked on a new adventure with WellPoint. We’ve been tracing our health journey through videos and blogging on the Real Health website. Last fall we each did a video-blog about our health goals for the year, and exercise was a primary one for both of … Continue reading →

Posted in stress, well-being, your self | Tagged breast cancer, cancer survivors, friendship, health goals, health journey, Manhattan, MoonWalk, New York, raise awareness, Real Health, walk the walk America, WellPoint | 1 Comment

Father’s Day: My Husband’s Legacy

by phyllis, June 11, 2013

With Father’s Day this weekend, you may be caught up in buying the perfect gift or planning your family get together. But take time to think about your relationship with the men in your life. What are the lessons you learned from your father, the values your husband has passed down, the kind of dad your sons are becoming? Once our kids went away to college, my husband wrote them weekly letters of encouragement and enclosed fortune cookie messages. And now he has compiled all his homespun advice and practical … Continue reading →