Relationship Plans, Paying for Grades, Birdwatching, Negativity Bias, Mini Book Club, Lack of Human Connection

Relationship Maintenance Plan (0:00:00) Relationships are hard and, as other elements get introduced, they get harder. Kids, careers, and families complicate things and can make it easy to shrug your shoulders and say, “I’ll work on my relationship tomorrow”. And before you know it, tomorrow becomes never and your relationship gets put on autopilot. Dr. Gary Lewandowski, researcher and relationship expert,is here to help us prevent that sort of autopilot from happening. He recommends several strategies for developing a relationship maintenance plan that will help strengthen your marriage during any autopilot moments you might have.  Paying Kids for Grades (0:21:04) Sometimes, it’s really hard to help your child in school. You can sit down with them every night and help them with their homework. You can talk to their teachers. You can give them incentives. But, no matter what, your child seems to be struggling in school and their grades show it. A popular way to motivate your child is to pay them for getting good grades. Some parents swear by it, while others look down on it. Here to help us navigate the debate is Liz Frazier, financial planner and author of “Beyond Piggy Banks and Lemonade Stands: How to Teach Young Kids About Finance”. Birdwatching (0:34:28) One hobby that is gaining popularity across the country (and even worldwide!) is birdwatching! It’s easier than you think—you can get started in your own backyard or local park. Matt Mendenhall, editor of BirdWatchingmagazine, is here to teach us more about our feathered friends and how we can get to know them better. Negativity Bias (0:51:36) Superhero movies have taught us that good will always triumph over evil. But when it comes to day to day life, that isn’t always true. Studies have shown that it’s actually a natural tendency of our brains to dwell on the negative rather than the positive. And while it’s difficult to fight against our nature—it isn’t impossible. So, what can we do to fight our own negativity biases? Here to share his expert tips