_____LEADS
**. BEHAVIOR: SPRING FEVER -- A SEASON WHEN BIOLOGY AND NATURE COLLIDE. DR. ROBERT R. BUTTERWORTH, psychologist at INTERNATIONAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATES: "If you find yourself daydreaming about falling in love or running away to a tropical island to escape the boredom of work, you're suffering from symptoms associated with 'spring fever.' It's the season when biology and nature collide in a confusing mix of conflicting emotions. When spring arrives with warmer weather and longer days, people become more energetic and unpredictable as they're exposed to longer periods of sunshine. Expect to have days when you can't function, so schedule work-breaks to enjoy yourself. And to those folks who fall madly in love in May -- enjoy it, but wait until December to propose marriage."
**. FAMILY: VACATION TOGETHER, STAY WELL TOGETHER. BARBARA FIESE, professor and department chair of psychology in The College of Arts and Sciences at SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: "Taking brief or extended trips over the summer can help in establishing a tradition that fosters togetherness and creates shared experiences for families. My research has found that family rituals such as this may provide feelings of belonging and closeness related to mental and physical health. Rituals are particularly important and convey that 'this is who we are' as a group and provide continuity in meaning across generations." Fiese's research found that family routines and rituals are important to the health and well-being of today's busy families, according to a review of over 32 studies over the past 50 years. Her research has been published in the Journal of Family Psychology and the Journal of Pediatrics.
**. PARENTING: USE THE WEB TO TEACH KIDS THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR THIS SUMMER. MARK BRADLEY, vice president of services shopping at NEXTAG, INC.: "Parents have long been challenged with the task of teaching their kids about money management and how to save at an early stage in life. Short attention spans, lack of true appreciation for the value of money, and the 'gotta have it now' attitude all combine to make kids great consumers, but not necessarily savvy shoppers. In addition, kids don't really have much opportunity to 'comparison shop' in the real world -- they get to a store, they see what they like and just want to buy it. However, as many kids pocket more spending money during the summer months due to part-time jobs and increased allowances, parents need to set aside some quality time with their kids to practice the virtue of 'a penny saved is a penny earned' via a comparison shopping Web site."
**. RELATIONSHIPS: ARE YOU IN A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP? MARY JO FAY, author, national speaker and relationship consultant: "A toxic relationship is one in which your partner always makes you feel guilty, depressed, anxious, less important than they are, or as though you have lost who you are and have become a deer in the headlights. You're absolutely exhausted and lost. True healing from these relationships comes when you find out how you may have unknowingly been encouraging this behavior and how you can take your life back."
**. SHOPPING: USING ONLINE AUCTIONS TO FIND THE PERFECT FATHER'S DAY GIFT. SAM ROBERTSON, online auction expert for AUCTIONDROP: "Favorite Father's Day gifts traditionally include electronics, computers, watches and leather goods. But these items can be pricey when purchased for full retail value. Consumers should consider taking advantage of the huge inventory of goods available through online auctions and the associated savings? Many buyers, however, particularly online novices, are hesitant to make online auction purchases due to concerns about the authenticity or quality of the items they're purchasing, or other fraud concerns." Robertson can share tips for how to capitalize on everything online auctions have to offer and feel safe in the process.
**. SHOPPING: TAPPING THE LOCAL ONLINE MARKET TO FIND A FATHER'S DAY GIFT. RAJESH NAVAR, CEO of LIVEDEAL.COM: "This season, show dad he's still the coolest guy you know with a unique gift found by tapping the growing world of free local online classifieds. These sites enable consumers to enter their zip code or city/state to find everything on dad's 'must-have' list right in their local area, including cars, boats, motorcycles, electronics, lawn and garden items, sports equipment and pick it up for dad the same day."
RSS