Families in the 21st century come in all shapes and sizes; traditional, single parent, blended (more than one family together in the same house) and gay and lesbian parents -- just to name a few. No matter the "type" of family you have there are going to be highs and lows to what is going on in the household. The highs -- the happy times -- are good and don't take a lot of effort or work.

Many times, however, families become blocked in their relationships by hurt, anger, mistrust and confusion. These blockages are natural and normal, and few are the families who do not have at least a small collection of them.

But it is possible, with a few simple changes in the way we look at the world and deal with other people, to create happier, more stable relationships. Families need to be units of mutual caring and support; they can be sources of lifelong strength for the individual. It is never too late to begin the process of improving family relationships -- even if they are already of good quality -- by developing some simple skills.

This section deals with some of those situations and problems we face in a family.

A "problem" is defined as "something that lacks an easy solution."

"Solution" is part of the definition.

The first step in approaching a troublesome family problem is to think that the solution is in there somewhere -- all you have to do is find it. This approach differs sharply in its outcomes from the approach of those who feel that a problem is something you have to tolerate as if it will always be with you unless it just happens to go away.