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7 super effective ways to tame your grumpy wife
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Ever wonder how to cut those bad moods short? Try one of these ideas. - photo by Megan Shauri
Grumpiness can be an emotion that is hard to stop -- it tends to snowball and only builds until you either break down, or someone helps you. Here are seven ways to soften your wife's grumpiness:

1. Know what not to say

When she's being a bit grumpy, your first reaction may be to lecture or nag her about her mood. Telling someone they shouldn't be grumpy is not the best way to help them get over it. There are certain things to stay away from when trying to make someone feel better. For example, dont remind them that they are doing their dream job, so they shouldnt complain. And dont keep insisting that they are being grumpy when they tell you they are not. Or dont lecture them on how so many people are worse off than they are. These things don't work.

2. Lend a helping hand

If your wife is grumpy, jump in and help her with what she is doing. I guarantee she is not just sitting on the couch stewing in her own bad mood. She is probably changing diapers, picking up toys, preparing dinner, doing laundry and setting the table all at the same time. See where you could help her and just do it. She will appreciate not having to ask you to help, and that will lighten her mood.

3. Tell her why you appreciate her

One big reason women get in grumpy moods is because they do not feel appreciated. Women tend to go all day long, and right when they want to just relax for a second, someone else needs them. She loves what she does, but it can be exhausting, especially when she feels taken for granted. If you see your wife on the verge of a breakdown, remind her how much you truly appreciate her and see all that she does throughout the day. Be specific. Thank her for picking your clothes up that you left on the floor after work. Have your kids give her big hugs for helping them with their homework and untangling their necklace collection. A thank you and some hugs can usually melt any bad mood.

4. Take over for a while

Instead of just lending a helping hand, tell your wife youve got this and let her have a break. There is nothing better than someone telling you to go lay down or take a bubble bath, and knowing that you dont have to worry about what is going on outside your door, because dad has taken over. It may be hard to juggle kids and cooking dinner after a long day at work, but your wife does that all day long, every day. Give her a break every once in a while.

5. Take her out to dinner

If you see your wife is being grumpy, take her out to dinner. Relieve her of the stress of cooking and cleaning up afterward. It is a luxury for a woman to have someone wait on her for a change and can be an instant mood lifter.

6. Dont join her grumpy mood

Whatever you do, do not join her grumpy mood. Dont try and one-up her with how awful your day was. This just undermines her, and tells her that you are not really caring that she is upset. She needs you to be strong for her, not join her in her downward spiral. Staying positive will help her out of it faster.

7. Let her work through it

Even the happiest of wives has a bad day once in a while; let her. It is her time to wallow, complain and maybe even cry a little. It wont last too long; once she gets it out of her system she'll be OK for a while. But she needs the opportunity to express those feelings. Comfort her. Sometimes she needs a shoulder to cry on; and you need to be there when she does.

No one likes when someone is in a bad mood, especially when that person is the glue that usually holds your family together. But it happens. If you find your wife in one of those moods, try one of the above suggestions and you will be surprised how much faster she comes out of it.
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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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