Ken Potts
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A kid, a cop and a story to warm a winter's dayDec 06, 2019 5:00 am - There are certain days that are "classic" Chicago winter. We all know them: cold, damp, windy, overcast. The sort of days we'll do almost anything to avoid going out in...
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'Yes' may be parents' most powerful, and overlooked, toolDec 09, 2019 8:36 am - We may be neglecting one of the most powerful tools in parenting: the word "yes." Let's say we're shopping with our 5-year-old at the local discount store. Not too surpr...
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Kid with care: Deal openly, honestly with conflictNov 21, 2019 11:40 am - My Dad loved to kid. His five children soon learned that kidding was one of his favorite, and most frequent, ways of saying "I love you." To this day, 46 years after hi...
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How counseling can help couples confront marital problemsNov 17, 2019 12:00 am - "Just once, can we figure out what we've been doin' wrong?" These words, sung so plaintively by James Ingram in the classic oldie "Just Once" captures the painful dilem...
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Kids often end up much like their parentsOct 31, 2019 10:31 am - "Determined. Strong-willed. A mind of his own. Just like his Dad." "Stubborn. Defiant. Won't listen to anybody. Drives his Dad nuts." I shared this summary with a couple...
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Why it's important to tell kids about our own limitationsOct 27, 2019 1:00 am - "Well, Dad, if you'd told me that when I was 4, we wouldn't have this problem!" That certainly stopped me in my tracks. I had to think for a minute, but Alex, my then 7-...
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It's hard building healthy relationships, but so worth the effortOct 20, 2019 1:00 am - The 6:40 arrived at the Glen Ellyn station at 7:30 p.m., which made it the late train in more ways than one. She looked like most of the women who commute downtown: con...
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Life is more complicated than 'bumper sticker' philosophiesOct 09, 2019 12:20 pm - "There is a difference between a philosophy and a bumper sticker" - Charles Schultz in "Peanuts." I like bumper stickers, especially the clever ones that manage to say s...
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Sorry, but sometimes the fault truly is our ownOct 03, 2019 10:01 am - "Drowning in credit card debt? Mortgage payments out of control? Monthly bills just too much to handle? It's not your fault!" We hear a similar pitch later in the day: "...
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A parent's love means emotional burdens, sacrificesSep 19, 2019 10:55 am - Parents love their kids. That's the only excuse I can come up with for some of the things we do. Let me tell you what I mean. A number of years ago, I found myself, alo...