Finally, that crisp September air is here! With the changing of the season in a week and all of our Autumn plans coming a whole lot closer, we know that cuffing season has arrived!!! With cuffing season usually seems to come a whole lot of expectations and the close kin, miscommunication. You know we have to work on that. Let’s talk about expectations and communication in cuffing season.

The path to end parent shaming was an interesting one for me. With my goal of helping create a society that doesn’t condemn every parent for every mistake they make, I have forged a message and a voice that feels so far removed from the emotionally abused girl I once was. Growing up in the type of home that I did, with the history I have, makes it almost impossible to believe that I am here – as a professional, as a healing voice for parents, and as a sane woman capable of love (both giving and receiving). But, alas, here I am, on a mission to create a shame-proof parenting framework that will change the way we think about parenting.

It's not so much a power exchange, which I think could be a great thing within relationships and relational interactions, but it's more in the context of having and keeping the upper hand to have dominion over the relationship. So in a sense, some are seeking to be G God while their partner would remain a peasant sent do their bidding. Power. 

I read the self-help book called The Girls' Guide to Sex Education: Over 100 Honest Answers to Urgent Questions about Puberty, Relationships, and Growing Up by Michelle Hope. Let me be the first to say, this is not an area I often venture into. However, when you get to meet the author and hear why she created a book, even if it is not exactly directed at you, you read it!

Anyway, there are many people who are not in the romantic situation they want to be in. Some feel like they only manage to attract fuck bois and fuck girls. Others feel like they are settling into relationships they would rather not be in (some of which are abusive, though not physically). And even more others are concerned they will end up being single for the rest of their lives because the formula to dating seems to be off for them. When dealing with this in session, with friends, or with strangers on the street, one of my most pressing questions is: “What do you want from a relationship?” 

Can you be in a SUCCESSFUL relationship with someone else? Now, I have to throw the emphasis on successful, because if you really wanted to, I am sure we could all find ourselves in a relationship. But just because you “got somebody” doesn’t mean they are the person for you, nor does it make the relationship good or successful.

Dating can be stressful. Adding to the sometimes stressful dating process is the fact that we are living in a time where we all have strong opinions about a lot of important topics. Because it’s a polarizing time, it’s important to be very clear about what issues are important to you when it comes to choosing potential partners. The days of avoiding conversations about politics, religion, and race is over. A lot of us have very strong opinions about these subjects and it’s important to figure out if you’re on the same page BEFORE developing feelings for someone who might have a conflicting world view.