Personal Best Parent Update
...by Donald F. Gately Ed.D.
January 8, 2020 Volume VII No. 8
Book Talk: January 27 - The Positive Dog
Marriage Advice from a Dog?
Here’s a statistic included in Jon Gordon’s book The Positive Dog:
Marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5-to-1 ratio of positive to negative interactions whereas when the ratio approaches 1-to-1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce.
(Source: Gottman, J. M., and Silver, N. (1999). The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. New York, NY: Crown.)
I know what you’re thinking, “Easier said than done.” I don’t have a statistician keeping score at my house, but being married to me can certainly be a chore. It’s not easy to maintain that 5-to-1 ratio when I forgot to pick up our son from gymnastics for the second time this month and the football game I’m watching is so much more interesting than remembering to take wet clothes out of the washing machine. That’s a lot of negativity I’m inviting into our relationship. How can this be avoided?
In The Positive Dog, John Gordon counsels us to use complaints as a signal that perhaps we are falling into negativity. He advises that we make a pact with ourselves that we will not complain unless we are able to identify one or two solutions to the complaint. This is a simple and concrete approach to a challenge we all face in our relationships. Sounds good to me. I’m going to try it! Well, I’m going to actually ask my wife to try it!
Why not join us Jan 27 for our book talk on The Positive Dog, 9:30am in the middle school library.
My #OneWord2020 --- POSITIVE!
Resources
Jon Gordon talks about the book
So many ways to follow #JerichoMS
Jericho Middle School
Email: dgately@jerichoschools.org
Website: Jerichoschools.org
Location: 99 Old Cedar Swamp Road, Jericho, NY, United States
Phone: (516) 203-2600
Twitter: @JerichoMS