communication Archives - Page 5 of 9

Managing Differences

Different personalities. Different upbringing. Different education. Different sexes. Sometimes different ethnic or religious backgrounds. With so many differences between us, is it any wonder that making decisions as a couple is complicated and sometimes conflictual? We unpack the SmartLoving framework for managing differences and making couple decisions. Byron and Francine Pirola have been married for 34 years, and between them, they have over three decades of experience in marriage and family ...

By Byron and Francine Pirola|2023-07-19T12:26:25+10:00July 19th, 2023|LOVE & MARRIAGE, PODCASTS|0 Comments

How Expectations Set Us Up for Trouble

When we look back on our early romance, we note how quick we were to trust each other, even recklessly so. We dived into the relationship with ready abandon and little thought for the risks of rejection or disappointment. Since then, our trust levels have strengthened in many areas, and declined in others, as we’ve experienced ups and downs in our relationship. It leads us to ponder: what builds trust between ...

By Byron and Francine Pirola|2023-07-10T16:41:54+10:00July 12th, 2023|LOVE & MARRIAGE|0 Comments

The Smarter Way to Love

Falling in love is easy. Staying in love requires a conscious decision and focused investment. Loving the Smart way is easy when you know how. Our romance was a whirlwind of delight and passion. Over an intense two years, we courted with a dedicated focus: from the very beginning, it was clear that we were discerning marriage. But even before we got to the altar, the sparkle of those initial ‘in ...

By Byron and Francine Pirola|2023-07-05T10:30:48+10:00July 5th, 2023|LOVE & MARRIAGE|0 Comments

Incompatible Expectations

I wasn’t expecting that! We’ve explored how our formation in our family of origin continues to play out throughout our marriages. There are typically three ways in which our formation can pose challenges for us and today we explore the first of these: incompatible expectations. Growing up, Francine’s father was a retail pharmacist, with her mother working full-time raising the family and volunteering in the school and parish community. It was ...

By Byron and Francine Pirola|2023-07-01T16:12:29+10:00June 28th, 2023|LOVE & MARRIAGE|0 Comments

How Ryan Gosling is Going to Save Your Marriage

It’s true! And now there’s a study that proves it. Finally, I have the ammunition I need to convince hubby that our next date night movie should be a rom-com, rather than an action flick. Researchers who conducted a study involving 174 couples found that those who discussed five movies about relationships over a month cut the three-year divorce rate for newlyweds in half. Superior Choice Okay, so the research is ...

By Annette Spurr|2023-06-23T19:58:45+10:00June 26th, 2023|MOTHERS, HUMOUR, LOVE & MARRIAGE|0 Comments

The Forever Conversation

At some point, every couple will have the Forever Conversation -- the discussion that explores their long-term commitment. It’s no secret to anyone that the incidence of cohabitation has increased. In fact, a couple who hasn’t cohabited is increasingly rare, even in the Catholic formation circles where we work. For couples in these semi-permanent living arrangements, the natural progression of a romantic relationship towards marriage is slowed. Without the inconvenience of ...

By Byron and Francine Pirola|2023-06-14T11:17:36+10:00June 14th, 2023|LOVE & MARRIAGE, FAITH|0 Comments

Myths about Arguments

When it comes to marriage, relationships and arguments, there are a lot of myths out there. Here are five of the most common. Myth 1: Good Couples Don’t Argue The presence or absence of arguments is not a good indicator of the health of a marriage. Some couples who don’t argue are living detached, parallel lives. They’ve essentially checked out of the marriage and have given up caring. These couples are ...

By Byron and Francine Pirola|2023-03-24T08:13:19+10:00March 22nd, 2023|Uncategorized, LOVE & MARRIAGE|0 Comments

Who Matters Most?

My kids and I were watching a Disney movie recently. In the movie, a dad who was coaching his child’s sports team yelled at his son. After the coaching session, the boy asked his Dad, “Why did you yell at me, but you didn’t yell at all the other kids?” His Dad yelled back in exasperation, “I don’t care about the other kids.” I was struck by the irony of this ...

By Annette Spurr|2023-03-04T10:37:27+10:00March 6th, 2023|MOTHERS, Children, Dads, FAMILIES|0 Comments

Delusions of Superior Communication

Here’s a question for you: How would you rate yourself as a driver -- below average, average, or above average? How about your IQ (intelligence)? And finally, how about as a tennis player? Research by psychologists tells us that most people overestimate their driving ability and intelligence compared to others, while they will be much more accurate about their tennis ability. One reason why is that we can easily obtain objective ...

By Byron and Francine Pirola|2023-01-17T18:26:42+10:00January 18th, 2023|LOVE & MARRIAGE|0 Comments

My Annual Dad Superpower Check-up

Visiting the dentist has all the appeal of cleaning my daughters’ long, clagged hair out of the shower drain. I visit annually because it is the right thing to do. Each visit follows a predictable pattern. I arrive early at the clinic. I eagerly anticipate being able to read a National Geographic (I have allergies to sitting still doing nothing and like learning things) and ultimately am disappointed by the tattered ...

By Greg McInerney|2023-01-17T12:11:34+10:00January 17th, 2023|SINGLE DADS, Children, Dads, FAMILIES|0 Comments