Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Relationships

My Wish for Moms

Just in time for Mother’s Day this year, supermodel Chrissy Teigen launched the #MyWishForMoms campaign to bring awareness to postpartum depression and anxiety and to help break the stigma surrounding these conditions. While 1 in every 7 moms experience postpartum depression each year, only 15% receive treatment. Perhaps this is because our culture views giving […]

WRITTEN BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

REVIEWED BY: Whitney Gherman, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Marion County

SOURCES:

  • Allegheny Health Network (2019). The 4th Trimester: Time to Take Care of Mom. https://www.mywishformoms.org/postpartum-resource/
  • MedlinePlus (2019). Postpartum Depression. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007215.htm
  • TODAY Parenting Team (2018). Stay at Home Mom Depression. https://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/stay-at-home-mom-depression
  • Zillman, C. (2018). Childcare Costs More Than College Tuition in 28 U.S. States. Fortune. http://fortune.com/2018/10/22/childcare-costs-per-year-us/

From Work-Family Balance to Work-Family Justice

Hi, my name is Jenny and I’m a working mother. This is a new title for me. I have been an Extension Educator since 2016, but I did not become a mother until earlier this year. While on maternity leave, I read the newly published book Making Motherhood Work: How Women Manage Careers and Caregiving […]

WRITTEN BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

REVIEWED BY: Whitney Gherman, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Marion County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Baby Bella photography

SOURCES:

  • Collins, C. (2019). Making Motherhood Work: How Women Manage Careers and Caregiving. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
  • Ennis, L.R. (2014). Intensive Mothering: The Cultural Contradictions of Modern Motherhood. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1rrd8rb.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Yes, now you have that song stuck in your head, you’re welcome. As I hum the song, I can’t help but to smile and to reflect on things that make me happy. To give the definition of happiness may seem silly, since most of us understand what it is, but according to positive psychology researcher […]

WRITTEN BY: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.416@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Joseph Maiorano, PhD, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Harrison County, maiorano.2@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/photos/family-sea-vacation-beach-summer-2432568/
  • https://pixabay.com/photos/african-african-american-afro-3797905/

SOURCES:

  • Greater Good Magazine. Happiness Defined: What is Happiness? Found on 4/10/19 at https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/happiness/definition
  • Greater Good Magazine. Happiness Defined: Why Practice It? Retrieved on 4/10/19 from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/happiness/definition#why-practice-happiness
  • Harmon, M. (2019). How to "buy" happiness and better health. Found at https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/money/harmon-416osu-edu/how-to-buy-happiness-and-better-health/
  • Harvard Men's Health Watch. (2017). The pursuit of happiness. Retrieved on 4/10/19 from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-pursuit-of-happiness
  • Ho, L. (2019). How to Be Happy: Why Pursuing Happiness Will Make You Unhappy https://www.lifehack.org/610387/why-its-impossible-to-be-consistently-happy
  • Kloppers, M. 10 Things To Stop Caring About If You Want To Be Happier. Found on 4/10/19 at https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/ten-things-stop-caring-about-you-want-happier.html
  • Locke, R. (2018). 10 Scientifically Proven Ways To Stay Happy All The Time. Retrieved from https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-scientifically-proven-ways-stay-happy-all-the-time.html
  • National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). Mental Health Conditions. Retrieved on 4/10/19 from: https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions
  • Suttie, J. (2019). How Understanding Evolution Can Help Us to Be Happy. Greater Good Magazine. Found at https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_understanding_evolution_can_help_us_to_be_happy

Love Thine Own Self

Many times when we talk about relationships we focus on those relationships we have with other people.  I think it is important to develop and maintain healthy relationships with friends, family, co-workers, etc.   I also believe having a healthy, positive, and loving relationship with yourself is crucial.  The type of relationship you have with yourself […]

WRITTEN BY: Lorissa Dunfee, Ohio State University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences, Belmont County

REVIEWED BY: Shannon Carter, Ohio State University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences, Fairfield County

SOURCES:

  • "Building Trust." California State University, Stanislaus. 2014.
  • Stephen, Asha, "Creating Healthy Relationships." Be Well Blog, University of Oregon. 2017.

How to “buy” happiness and better health

My husband and I took my 15 year old daughter to see Hamilton a couple nights ago. Her birthday was January 29th, the same day that Hamilton opened in Columbus. She told me last summer that she would like to go to the show for her birthday. I informed her that I would try to […]

WRITTEN BY: Misty Harmon, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.417@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Shannon Carter, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/en/african-african-american-american-3741972/
  • https://pixabay.com/en/couple-happy-old-grandfather-858694/

SOURCES:

  • Consumer Federation of America, (2018). 54 Ways to Save Money, America Saves. Retrieved from: https://americasaves.org/for-savers/make-a-plan-how-to-save-money/54-ways-to-save-money
  • Newman, K. (2016). Six Ways to Get More Happiness for Your Money. Greater Good Magazine. Found here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_ways_to_get_more_happiness_for_your_money
  • Santi, J. (2015). Nine Tips to Make Your Giving Feel Good. Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved from: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/nine_tips_to_make_your_giving_feel_good
  • Wilblin, R. (2016). Everything you need to know about whether money makes you happy. 80,000 hours. Retrieved from: https://80000hours.org/articles/money-and-happiness/
  • University of Minnesota, (2016). How Can You Improve Your Relationship with Money? Taking Charge of Your Health and Wellbeing. Found here: https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-can-you-improve-your-relationship-money

REFERENCES:

  • Bea, S. (2016). Wanna Give? This Is Your Brain on a ‘Helper’s High’. Cleveland Clinic. Found here: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-giving-is-good-for-your-health/

Soft Skills Across the Lifespan

Depending on the context, soft skills are also called:  Social Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Life Skills, Job Skills, People Skills, Success Skills, Essential Skills, Executive Function Skills and even Tough Skills. Different settings might have different terms such as Social Emotional Learning in schools and Emotional Intelligence in the workplace. The title of one article summarizes […]

WRITTEN BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, CFLE, Extension Educator, OSU Extension Lucas County

REVIEWED BY: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Franklin County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • pixabay

SOURCES:

  • Amdurer, E., Boyatzis, R., Saatcioglu, A., Smith, M. & Taylor, S. (2014). Long term impact of emotional, social and cognitive intelligence competencies and GMAT on career and life satisfaction and career success. Frontier Psychology, 5: 1447. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4267171/
  • Brandt, B. (2016). Supercharging chaperones: A meeting toolkit for maximizing learning for youth and chaperones. Journal of Extension [online], 54(2). Retrieved from https://www.joe.org/joe/2016april/iw4.php
  • Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), https://casel.org/
  • Ebner, P. (2017). Preparing students for extension careers and expanding US Extension reach through international service learning. Journal of Extension [online], 55(4), 4FEA2. Retrieved from https://www.joe.org/joe/2017august/a2.php
  • Fisher Merkowitz, R. & Earnst, G. (2006) Emotional Intelligence: A pathway to self-understanding and improved leadership capacities. Journal of Extension, 44(4). Retrieved from https://www.joe.org/joe/2006august/iw3.php
  • Harvard University, Center on the Developing Child (2018). Activities guide: Enhancing and practicing executive function skills with children from infancy to adolescence. Retrieved from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/activities-guide-enhancing-and-practicing-executive-function-skills-with-children-from-infancy-to-adolescence/
  • Hurrel, S. (2015). Rethinking the soft skills deficit blame game: employers, skills withdrawal and the reporting of soft skills. Human Relations. Vol 69, Issue 3, pp. 605 - 628
  • Kamenetz, A. (2015). Nonacademic skills are key to success. But what should we call them? NPR Ed Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/05/28/404684712/non-academic-skills-are-key-to-success-but-what-should-we-call-them
  • Slov´ak, P., Rowan K., Frauenberger, C., Gilad-Bachrach, R., Doces, M., Smith, B., Kamb, R., & Fitzpatric, G. (2016). Scaffolding the scaffolding: Supporting children-s social-emotional learning at home. AMC Conference Paper. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310822579_Scaffolding_the_scaffolding_Supporting_children-s_social-emotional_learning_at_home
  • Trotta, R. (2015). Tackling the tough skills: A curriculum building skills for work and life. University of Missouri Lincoln University, Outreach & Extension. Retrieved from http://extension.missouri.edu/tough-life-skills/

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