Reducing Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. Every human … More

Raising Countercultural Kids in the United States of Addiction (Part 1)

In the late 1990s, author J.K. Rowling invented the term “muggle” as a derogative term for the normal people of … More

3 Skills + 1 Passion

For young people to achieve success in their career, it is no longer enough to have a college degree. New … More

Living on 1 Dollar Per Day

Young people in America need to know more about real poverty, and this video is possibly the best I have … More

Parenting is Regulating

Every parent should regulate their children’s behavior until they are ready to regulate their own. It will likely be a … More

The Power of Kindness

Josh was a normal teenager whose father died. His mother moved them from their home in the country to the … More

Teach Your Kids Sportsmanship

If more parents focused on character over performance, then we would not need signs like this.

The Distance Run

I coach middle school cross country, which is not a glamorous job, but it is uniquely rewarding. For young distance … More

Why Young Kids Should Learn to Use Dangerous Things

A friend recently posted on Facebook a picture of her three young children helping their dad build a deck. The … More

Raising Resilient Children

Resilience is the capacity to recover from adversity and return to well-being. Paul Tough, in his book How Children Succeed, … More

Families Should Be Tough

My wife is kind and compassionate, but she is one of the toughest people I have ever known. She does … More

Fear Less, Parents

With the tragic news of the abduction and murder of ten-year-old Hailey Owens this week, many parents are afraid that … More

Connect With Your Young Teen

First Connect, Then Guide The best parents are the ones who are deeply connected with their children and offer support … More

Helping Your Teen Deal with a Sports Injury

So, your teenager is injured and is out for the rest of the season. Of course, his or her initial … More

Living in Crisis

  Our family is in crisis. It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last. Three weeks ago, … More

Ten Ways to Help Someone in Personal Crisis

Our family has been going through rough waters related to some serious medical issues, and we have only been making … More

Storm Preparation

A Creeping Crisis Some crises develop gradually. Some are excruciatingly slow. Perhaps it is the approaching death of a parent … More

Preparing for the Storm

If you have ever sat with a weather radio in a dark basement or closet during a tornado warning, or … More

A Tribute to Fathers

Made by Family Share.

The Nature Deficit

“I go into nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in tune once more.”   –    … More

What Does it Mean to Grow Up?

This is the time of year when I start to see some signs of maturity in my 7th grade students. … More

You win some; you lose some

Life is unfair – extraordinarily unfair. Sometimes the good guys lose, while the bad guys revel in their victory.  Sometimes, … More

Loving Grandpa

One of my favorite 7th grade essays ever is this memoir about a grandfather. Ashley Aucker, is now a 25 … More

Raising Boys to be Real Men

Boys are misunderstood.  Too often, they are disciplined and shamed by their teachers, parents, or grandparents because it is falsely … More

Hard Times

Life has a way of kicking you down, then kicking you when you are down.  It’s happened to me more … More

Same Lake, Different Boat

When you are a parent of a child with severe disabilities, you have to accept the fact that your life … More

Growing Up Too Fast

Our culture tends to throw kids in the deep-end of the pool without teaching them how to swim. Kids are … More

Parenting With and Without Fear

Fear is universal.  Columnist Dave Barry writes, “All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears — of … More

I Wish You Failure

Once again, I offer an article from NPR’s This I Believe.  Jon Carroll started at the San Francisco Chronicle editing … More

The Blessing

Most parents deeply love their children but do not express their love in the most effective ways.  For many children, … More