Tag Archive for: family

Self-Respect – A Key Parenting Ingredient

Teaching our children respect for others starts with teaching them respect for us, and this can be done without sacrificing our children's individuality or personal development.  First, we have to believe in the importance of our role as parents,…

Three Important Parenting Questions

As JoAnn and I began navigating the parenting waters, we found that, in the process of defining our values, we were also determining some basic rules for running the family ship "our way."   These were our first three basic questions: Is…

Please Participate in This Relationship Survey

Every relationship is different - and there are key elements in successful (and unsuccessful) marriages that I'm trying to identify for my next book.  By taking Part 1 of this quick, ten-minute, survey you would be helping me identify some…

Fighting the “War on Christmas”

People have asked me how to address intercultural diversity and Christmas-related issues with their children. I’ll start with the message of goodwill toward others and work back from there. I’m Jewish, but this December I will be happy…

In Defense of Participation Trophies

Let's not blame the trophies. First, it's important to note that I'm not addressing the concept of "grade inflation" or the idea that every child in a given class is an honor student (as was eloquently written about by Michael Sigman in his…

The Problem with Perfection

They say "nobody's perfect," and they're right. Perfection is a myth. Really. The problem is, that if we look at Instagram, Facebook, or other social media postings, it might appear that a lot of people have really perfect lives. What…
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The Evolving Dad

We’re evolving – all of us – and so is our world, or should I say “our worlds” as each of us is surrounded by our own experience. As society has shifted away from the “good ‘ol days” (a “Madmen” episode filled with smoke…

3 Simple Solutions to 3 Common Parenting Challenges

There are very few things that I find “absolute” in parenting. What works for one family may not work for another… except for the three strategies I am about to share with you. These primarily concern multi-child households. They worked…

The Power of Appreciation

I’ve lived long enough to see many of my divorced friends find new mates. It’s quite a relief actually – not because I think everybody needs to be a couple, but because their divorces have left scars that I’m happy to see healing. In…

The High Cost of Bad Parenting

I believe that most parents are good parents.  It’s my observation that a majority of our citizens are well-behaved, respectful, and law-abiding.  But I also see a society that devotes an immense amount of energy and resources to deal with…