Family: The First Unit of Society

"Match Making:n“I don't need help meeting women. I need a shortcut to the right women,"" says a client. He reasons, ""We outsource computer work for clients. Why not outsource the initial part of dating, which is meeting the right people in the first place? The matchmaking industry is filled with a lot of fraud and a lot of litigation. People are ripping each other off. Matchmaking is a very, very difficult business because you're dealing with emotional currency and extreme expectations and that’s the hard part”. Fees are based on time and start from $25,000. The matchmaker goes on a simulated date, usually a lunch that can last several hours, to observe the prospective client at a location he/she selects. In addition to criminal background checks, clients must see a therapist to make sure they are ""emotionally available"" and an image consultant before any matching occurs. Matchmakers even go on home visits — as many homes as the client has. However, Executive matchmaker company, Selective Search knows when love is in the air, and what to do if the chemistry is there."" Wall Street Journal, December 2001nnTeens:nInteractions with nature resulted in enhanced self-esteem, independence and initiative. Body image is forever changing. It is sensitive to your mood swings, physical environment, and your experiences. It is formed out of every experience you have ever had and all of the people around you - parents, role models, the media, and peers who give you an idea of what it is like to value your body. For instance, if blue eyes are valued in a family because almost everyone in that family has them, anyone who is born with any other color eye will feel a smaller sense of belonging to that family. They will wish that they had blue eyes. This negatively impacts one's self-esteem and can even go as far as impacting one's self-worth. nnChildrennRecess, soccer practice, the neighborhood playground -- all are great avenues for getting our kids up and out. But when it comes to their mental as well as, physical well-being, children need something else, something elemental: They need nature, for a child, a deep forest or sprawling parkland can be the best playground ever. The terminology ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’ stems from shrinking green space, over scheduling by families -- whatever the reason, the result is limiting the potential of today's young people. nnThe absence of nature in many children's lives is key when it comes to problems they increasingly face, such as obesity, attention disorders, depression and stress. ""Kids who play in natural areas -- those with bushes and trees -- have been shown to engage in more creative and cooperative play.""—nParticipation in sports can build character and teach time management and teamwork. Studies have even found that kids who play sports get into less trouble and are more likely to seek higher education. So what can you do to foster their fascination with superstar athletes like Mia Hamm, LeBron James and Tiger Woods? Create a sports-themed room! Psychologists today – encourage this kind of home decoration – in vogue as it can be fun and create lasting memories. Start by finding out their favorite team. If they're into college sports, . There you'll find an array of live-action wall-sized photos of football stadiums and basketball arenas from schools like the University of Kentucky. They'll feel like they're at the game. nnFamily HistorynnHow much time do you spend on the treadmill indoors? Get the same benefit by taking your kids on a hike and your family for a walk in the neighborhood at night. Relax on a chair outside after dinner and read on the lawn. Just break the habit of coming home and staying inside for the rest of the day. You have to take the first step. You also, run the risk of becoming obese with age. Here’s what the big-butted Television Star Kirstie Alley (weighs in) saying, I don't have some disease. I don't have the fat gene. But I have a character flaw, which is I have a tendency to get out of control, and I have to rein it back. She says that she’s not appreciated back when she was, yes, thin. n