The trends are not looking good for the mental and emotional health of young people, across all demographics. For instance, … More
Tag: Relationship
The Holidays Are a Magnifier
The Holidays — the six weeks of Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, and New Years — are a magnifier. In general, happy … More
The Social Combat of Being 13
A New World Order for Young Teens 7th and 8th grade is when the social life of a child amps … More
Your Family. Your Culture.
The most common theme among parents of young teens lately is that they want to live differently than the culture. … 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
Motivate. Don’t Manipulate Your Kids.
Once again, his room isn’t clean, not by any standard. Her backpack, jacket, and shoes are scattered about the floor … More
Perpetual Parenting
It’s likely that you are being a great parent even when you aren’t thinking about it. You may be doing … More
Kids in Cars Talking Life
The car is where the best stories have a chance to run and really stretch out their legs freely. It’s … More
Connect + Guide + Enjoy = Good Parenting
You are never done parenting. There is never enough time, energy, money, or wisdom to do it all right. Parenting … More
Managing Social Media (Part 2)
Dealing With Annoying Social Media Posts (Part 2)After writing my last post on how to respond to all those annoying … More
Look Up
Perhaps this video is a bit of an overstatement. It oversimplifies the problem, but I like the main theme. Train … More
Ordinary Parenting
Parenting is messy. It’s often a blender full of emotions, tasks, and conflicts. That why we so often feel pureed … More
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
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
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
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
Stop, Look, Listen
Our kids, no matter the age, need us to be with them, explaining what makes one thing beautiful and another … 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
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
Anne Lamott says that in her experience the two most powerful prayers are “Help me, help me, help me.” and … More
Growing Up Well 