#22: Give it, don’t expect it.
When should you expect gratitude? Would you even recognize it?
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#21: Don’t be the enemy of good.
2018 is a new year, and with the new year comes that sense of a fresh beginning. While it may be a result of the vagaries of Western history that we happen to mark January 1st as the start of a new year, the feeling of being able to turn that calendar page over is […]
#13: Avoidance – has a cost. Like avoiding reading this post.
The other night, you spent 27 minutes* bitching about having to brush your teeth. There was cajoling and threatening, and you finally – grumpily – took 60 seconds to brush your teeth. While not the 2 minutes we prefer, we took it as a victory. We informed you that it took much longer for you […]
Aside: Guilt. Not just for mothers.
Nothing good comes from it, but we can’t help but feel it – Guilt. Is there a gender difference at play here? Comment with your thoughts!
An Aside: Stop dumping on the millennials!
Those lazy, entitled snowflakes: Millennials. Who’s with me?
#1: When is enough enough? Learn how to stand up – if not for yourself, for others.
When is enough enough? Learn how to stand up – if not for yourself, for others.
#8: Yes, we’re going to screw you up, somehow. Sorry about that.
Parents inevitably screw up their kids. Sorry bout that!
#7: Tradition… Tradition!
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years make the end of the calendar top heavy with holidays. With that comes a multitude of traditions and rituals that are part of what we consider the “holiday” season. Traditions serve as a touchstone. Things that we do together that remind us of our commonality, a shortcut to a thought and feeling space that […]
#5: The Difference Between Being Alone and Being Lonely
Have you ever been afraid of being alone? The difference between being by yourself and being lonely…
What I’m going to be telling my girls about this.
After a night of reflection, what I’m going to be telling my girls about the outcome of this election…
Aside: Our brains are like…
This is my one piece of advice for managing your brain. Not that I can do it regularly…
#4: Go High. For Real.
#4: Go High. For Real. Michelle Obama said to “Go High”. What does that mean?
#21: It’s More than Words
#21: It’s More than Words. Someone recently claimed: “It’s just words.” Is that true?
Aside: Drills
I normally love hearing all about your day. You chatter animatedly about everything you’ve done in your classroom with very little prodding. I know that this font of information will dry up very soon and I’ll have to reach in and pull it out, so I try to appreciate it while I can. The other […]
#87: We’re all figuring it out
It is one of the most annoying questions EVER devised. You probably dread gatherings with adults you haven’t seen recently. Or worse, with folks you’ve never met. But as soon as they start with “So…”, you internally brace yourself for it. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” they ask. It’s a […]
Aside : Football
Over the last couple of years you’ve noticed that on certain Sundays when the days start to get shorter Daddy will spend a couple of hours occasionally on the couch watching a game. Not every Sunday and not all the time, but often enough for you to get curious. “Football” it’s called. You don’t really […]
#14 Watch the Labels
Right now it seems the question you like to ask whenever we watch a TV show or movie is: “Is he a good guy or a bad guy?” There is a strong inclination for you to separate the world between Black and White. “Bad” and “Good”. “Right” and “Wrong”. “Smart” vs “Dumb”. For us parents, we cater to that […]
#5 How to Change a Tire
First, get to the safest area possible. Try not to drive on the rim if you can, because replacing that can get expensive. But if you have to, do what you need to do. Call AAA. Call someone to let them know where you are. If AAA is going to take a long time, or […]
#67: Get lost
Chances are you will not know a time when you can’t look at the nearest device/car/computer/phone and know exactly – to the nearest foot – where you are on this earth. You will never not be prompted with turn by turn directions to wherever you want to go – whether it is around the block […]
#49: Be Thankful
“What do you say?” We would ask you chidingly, whenever anyone gave you something. “Thank you,” you’d say dutifully, eyes downward, waiting anxiously to play with whatever toy/book/food object that you were given. You’d say it (often after already grabbing whatever it was that was offered to you), and you’d scamper off. As you got […]
Why this blog exists.
I’m a lucky father of three girls. It’s the hardest, most stressful, most wonderful and amazingly rewarding job I’ve ever had. I remember arguing with my college roommate on the classic nature vs. nurture debate. I then naively thought of children as a blank canvas that parents can write on. I had an outsize idea of […]