Fun = Connection

Have Fun with Your Child ASAP Good parenting has an order of operations. Insides come first. A child should feel … More

The Connected Family

2014 is the first year in American history in which everybody has a mobile device. We are at the saturation … More

The Peril of Productionism

  My wife and I struggle with what I call productionism. It is a variation of perfectionism. It is the … 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

Middle School Sports – The Good Stuff

Prepare for Happiness

Lately, I have been pondering the question, “What are some things that I can do to put myself in a … 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

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

The Sacred Honor of Being a Parent

A Unique Relationship Parenting is a unique relationship, wherein the parent is authorized by law and by God to protect, … More

Career Guidance for Young Teens

The Need for Early Guidance A few kids know from a very early age what they want to pursue as … More

Social Development and Kids’ Activities

Social life. Social skills. Social anxiety. Social media. Social Security. She’s so social! When we think of the “social development” … More

Speak Your Kids Up

Here is a sneak peak at the book I am writing about parenting: Kids need to see and hear their … More

Embracing Parenting

Here is a sample from my latest project. It’s a chapter from my not-even-close-to-being-finished book. Feel free to give me … More

From the Mouths of Babes

This from a 6th grade teacher who I respect a great deal: I teach a class titled Emerging Leaders, and … More

Weak Language

  We often chastise young people for using “strong language,” but there is an equal or greater problem with kids, … More

Parenting Digital Kids

Life Beyond the Screens If you ask most teens what item is their most prized, important possession, they will say … More

Introducing Kids to Nature

How to Turn Kids On To Nature I can’t tell you how many times one of my middle school students … More

Mister Rogers

I’m a huge Fred Rogers fan, so I was skeptical when I heard about the video remix recently done about … More

Protecting Kids From the Inside Out

Unlike consumer products, parenting comes without instructions or guarantees. We all want our children to grow up happy, healthy, successful, … 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

Stop, Look, Listen

Our kids, no matter the age, need us to be with them, explaining what makes one thing beautiful and another … 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

Middle School: Top Ten Things to Know

The following is an open letter from my boss, Steve Hall, Head of Middle School at Westminster Christian Academy, to … 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

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