Sandwiched Boomers's Blog (45)

Although the 2013 Academy Awards are history, one gem - Amour - will continue to shine. This heartbreaking and unflinching movie was painful to watch but it stimulated conversations with more questions than answers.

As the people we love decline, how do we deal with the inevitable suffering?

Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke tackled this…

As you settle into the new year, do you sometimes feel like time is getting away from you? I make list after list of what I want to accomplish each day – and often get a large chunk completed - but never seem to get everything done. Now that I make my lists on my PDA, it's easier to just change the date and roll the reminders over to the next day. Yet the sense of satisfaction that I feel when I do finish a project is a great motivator to become more focused so that I can attain…

Ever since Title IX guaranteed equal funding for girls' sports programs 40 years ago, we've seen the results in school, the workplace and women's self-confidence. Studies have shown that girls who play sports in high school are more likely to do better in science classes, complete college, avoid substance abuse and join the workforce. And the more time they spend participating in team sports, the higher their self-esteem.

Naturally, there's also an effect on the playing…

July is Sandwich Generation Month, a chance to pay tribute to adult children who are juggling the demands of raising kids while taking care of aging parents. The number of Americans 65 and older is projected to increase from 40 million in 2010 to over 88 million by 2050, doubling the ranks of those experiencing this stressful combination of responsibilities.

We expect to take care of our growing children. After all, isn't that part of the parenting…

This year over 1.75 million college students walked across the stage to pick up their diplomas. Seniors everywhere were excited to graduate as parents were thinking about words of wisdom to impart. With the scarcity of jobs and school loans due, it’s going to be harder than ever for these kidults to engage in adult roles. If your brand new graduates are boomeranging back home, here’s some practical insight to share with them:

Face uncertainty with a…

This year over 1.75 million college students walked across the stage to pick up their diplomas. Seniors everywhere were excited to graduate as parents were thinking about words of wisdom to impart. With the scarcity of jobs and school loans due, it’s going to be harder than ever for these kidults to engage in adult roles. If your brand new graduates are boomeranging back home, here’s some practical insight to share with them:

Face uncertainty with a…

By Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. and Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D.

Remember what it was like to be in school, afraid of the big bully in the neighborhood? The documentary Bully reignited the national dialogue about this challenge for kids, following several students and their families over the course of one school year.

Bullying is pervasive in our society today – research indicates that one in three children have been…

Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. and Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D.



Now that all the mega-lottery winners have stepped forward, the overwhelming odds are you didn't win. Americans spent $1.5 billion in their quest to win the jackpot, fantasizing about how they would happily spend the $656 million to be paid out to the winner. As it happened, there were three winning tickets so the final after-tax take home for each will be about $100 million. Still, nothing to sneeze at.



Are you…

We all know about the importance of play for the emotional growth and development of children. It can enhance their imagination, increase social skills and boost self-confidence. So why don't we place more value on play for ourselves? According to a recent study by the Families and Work Institute, ½ of American women don’t have enough time to spend on themselves and the activities they enjoy.

Early on, girls tend to be collaborative, communicative and caring –…

Long before it was a song, the saying was a part of our conversation - and it's especially appropriate during February, the month of love:



Love makes the world go round.



With all this whirling, love can make you feel off balance and dizzy. Sometimes it's tricky to keep your personal world turning without having it spin totally out of control. Although our focus is most often on romantic love, there are many different kinds of love that help keep us…

 It has been over ten years since I retired from full-time practice and spent three months volunteering and traveling in Southeast Asia. One of the best parts of my trip was spending time in the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. It was their monarch who defined the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) to measure quality of life. And Bhutan is the only country in the world that puts happiness and general well-being at the heart of its government policy.

The Bhutanese…

Are you alone and wondering how you'll be celebrating the holidays this year? Whether you're divorced or widowed, a single parent or the spouse of a deployed serviceperson, it most likely seemed easier when you had a partner to share in the planning. But now that you'll be the one creating the holiday mood, take advantage of the freedom you have to develop customs that are just right for you. 

1. Recognize that it won't be easy. Perhaps you're feeling more…

Not since the Great Depression have so many fledgling adults moved into the empty nest with mom and dad. This cyclical trend has accelerated along with the economic crisis. Faced with school loans, debts or no job, it makes sense to head for home - with its emotional security and financial safety net. If you're a member of the Sandwich Generation, caring for parents growing older as well as kids growing up, adding a boomerang kid to that mix can increase your stress level.

Recently…

Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. and Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D.



Now that your teens are in school again, are you concerned they're back to risky behaviors on the Internet - sending inappropriate sexual pictures and texts on their cell phones? If so, you're not alone. A recent survey of parents with children between the ages of 10 and 18 found their number one worry was not school shootings, bullying or grades, but sexting. Nearly half said their child had received some kind of racy…

By Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. and Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by 24-hour cable and Internet news, with vivid pictures, highlighting the dreadful effects of the massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown in Japan? These horrors have pushed the world's psyche into overload, causing increased levels of anxiety. If you're feeling vulnerable, you're not alone. 



The palpable distress created by shocking news reports has added to the already high levels…