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5 legit reasons youre better off alone than with a cheater
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Saving a marriage after an affair takes hard work from both people. But if things are not getting better, here are five good reasons to call it quits. - photo by Georgia Lee
Adultery can damage the mind, body and soul. It can leave you questioning yourself and your faith. If a cheating spouse doesnt truly make amends, or makes claims of change without really putting in an effort, you may be better off getting out instead of sticking around. Here are five good reasons why its actually better to be single than to stay with a cheating spouse:

1. Stay safe

It is unlikely that someone who is careless enough with your feelings to continuously lie and cheat would take the necessary precautions to keep you safe from his exploits. Sexual history, health checks and contraception are often not at the forefront of a cheating mind, and can spell disaster when those dirty deeds are brought home to you.

2. Missed target

Misdirected passion can inspire jealousy and rage. And the little lies whispered into the other womans ear could have her trying to get revenge on you and your family one day. Mistresses often mistake lust for love, truly believing another womans husband will leave his family for her. When the harsh truth comes to light, she may not be ready to let go, and could try to take what wasnt hers to begin with.

3. Open wounds

Focusing your energy on keeping an unfaithful spouse means you are not doing the work to heal yourself. Spouses troubles often fit together like puzzle pieces, bringing out what needs to be healed in each other. Make sure your energy is going where wounds can be healed, not reopened.

4. Toxic relationship

Think about what staying in a toxic relationship -- one where a spouse is unwilling to change his or her ways -- is teaching your children. They could be learning things like codependency and unhealthy attachment patterns. You may be modeling behaviors that teach them to expect to cheat or be cheated on, or to not try their best to find a faithful and committed partner. You are role models to your children; the kind of relations you have will be the template for what they seek. Make sure you are showing them what they do want -- not what they dont.

5. New suitors

Good men are hard to find, especially when you refuse to look. So while you are holding on to someone who breaks vows and lacks commitment, you may be passing up on many better and brighter opportunities for the marriage you truly seek. A suitor who would uphold the sanctity of his union will never have that chance if adulterers remain married to dependent partners. Being open to a happy marriage instead of attached to a crumbling one will help you attract the kind of man you thought youd married. Only this time, youll have the experience to help guide you away from what you dont want.

Remaining in a marriage after an affair can be a difficult choice. There are many things to consider in the aftermath of infidelity. But if your spouse shows no signs of slowing down and youre left wading in uncertainty, it might just be time to sever ties and walk alone for a time.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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