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Parenting the Puppy

We had plans to go out tomorrow night, but those have been cancelled. We’ve been binge watching TV lately, but now we’re too tired. It’s been two days since we got…the puppy!

She’s a Golden Retriever. She’s ten weeks old. She’s the definition of cute. Look her up in the dictionary.

After raising four children and three dogs, we figured adding another canine to our casa was no big deal. Delilah, the puppy, has been introduced to a mother figure, Daisy, our “senior” dog (that’s what they call them.) Daisy is eleven, and is by nature extremely mellow. She sleeps at the back door and is often not awakened until the opening of the door itself – rather than the sound of our car, the back gate, or the loud jingling of keys. That’s what we call mellow.

“You guys need to get a puppy!” said our children, none of whom live at home and are currently scooping poop from our backyard. “It’ll keep Daisy young!” Yes, but will it improve her hearing?

It’s year two of our empty nest, which basically means we’re spending a lot of time in our den binge watching a TV series (“Friday Night Lights” is awesome), playing Candy Crush Saga (JoAnn) or doing crossword puzzles (Richard.) So bringing another life into the house certainly seemed like a good idea. This idea really crystalized when our summering daughter, Emily, came home one night to find us at our respective computers. She said “You guys really need to get a life”.

Toward the end of August, before Emily headed back to her academic haven in Atlanta, she and her mom started surreptitiously looking at puppy pictures on the Internet. Warning! Once puppy pictures get into the house, it’s almost a sure thing that a real dog will follow.

Emily went back to college. The house became empty. We got the puppy.

Delilah has been with us for two nights. Her first day and night were very promising and uneventful. As I have often said, “Everything a puppy does is cute.”

We are crate training her. This means she sleeps in a giant cage (but no one wants to call it that, so we call it a crate) right near Daisy’s bed. Daisy has taken well to her new little sister – if you define “taking well” as aloof disengagement, or resignation. In time, we tell ourselves, they will be the best of friends.

When JoAnn went downstairs this morning to let the puppy out, she was greeted by a total mess. Sometime around 6 AM, Delilah had pooped in her crate. Not so cute. A rare phenomenon (because dogs know better than to poop in their living quarters), and one, I’m sorry to admit, brought on by our desire to push the edge of the poop envelope and sleep “just five minutes more” after the first yelp. That won’t be happening again.

Poop everywhere!

I am amazed at how quickly JoAnn and I sprung into action. It was like old times. I immediately grabbed Delilah’s soiled bedding and went to work with the hose. JoAnn distracted her while Daisy observed the whirlwind with detached bemusement.

Next came Delilah herself. I think she actually enjoyed her spa-treatment bath as I rinsed her poop-caked and furry little body in the kitchen sink.

Once the crap-threat level was returned to normal, JoAnn and I gave each other that knowing look. “It’s just like having a baby in the house,” she said. “Yep,” I nodded, and smiled.

There are times in our lives when we know we have to do something that we don’t want to do at all. These are the “higher calling” moments, when we as parents, or pet owners, have to step up and take care of business – whether it’s cleaning up poop, or drying tears, or just listening –when we’d rather be doing something else, or anything else.

These are also the moments when our love unites us because we’re willing to sacrifice our own plans to accommodate the needs of our loved ones. These times bind us together as we navigate our shared adventures. In times like these, JoAnn and I often look at each other and quote Oliver Hardy: “Here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into.”

I suspect next week’s blog will have another messy puppy update — because, frankly, that’s about all that’s happening around here right now.

September 10, 2014/0 Comments/by Common Sense Dad

Personal Updates

Raising Kids in a Modern Family

If I could tell parents one thing, I would caution against thinking or emoting on behalf of their children. I would tell them that their young children don’t care if they are a working mom, or a stay at home dad, or a traveling salesperson. Their children only know one type of mother or father – and they are it – whether they are single, divorced, gay, straight, working or not. They are the definition of “parent” – and they have a responsibility to do the job and not make excuses based on their situation or what they believe their child is feeling or thinking.

I truly appreciate the reviews my book gets on Amazon.com. I think the feedback is instructive and important. A recent review notes that the reader was turned off by a perceived “traditional two parent perspective” and that my book “does not address modern families in their many permutations.”

When my editors and I sat down to finalize the content in the book, we were very aware that it was largely based on my experience as a father in a two-parent household. Far from NOT recognizing this situation, we saw the vastness of trying to speak to all types of parents. We determined that I should write what I know in a mindful and practical way.

I concluded, for example, that the S.M.A.R.T. principles laid out in the book (Set an example, Make the rules, Apply the rules, Respect yourself, and Teach in all things) are applicable to EVERY type of parent.
No matter the structure of your particular family, it’s absolutely essential that you set a proper example for a child – whether you are a father, mother, step mother, step father, uncle, aunt, best friend, or whatever. I find that parents often believe that a change in their circumstances (their marriage, their dating life, their employment) affects the way that they parent their children. But no matter what happens in our lives, as parents we must always remember that our children are looking to us as examples. If we handle life with grace, gratitude, and kindness, so will they.

In setting an example, we are asked to define our values. Those values don’t change because we live in a blended family, or because our dad is single. When we work to make the rules, it doesn’t matter whether we’re a two parent family or not.

Applying rules gets a little more complicated because we may not be the only ones guiding our children through the process. Nonetheless, it’s important that we think of ourselves as team managers. Although we can only be responsible for the way our children are treated when they are with us, it doesn’t hurt to communicate our expectations with everyone involved in their care.

If there is no communication between parents, I’d ask the parties to return to setting an example (of how to communicate like adults) and attempt to do what’s in the best interest of the child. If that doesn’t work, I’d suggest parenting as best you know how – because you’re the only person whose behavior you can control.

No matter your circumstances, it is unlikely that your child will respect you if you don’t respect yourself. Respecting yourself is transferrable no matter what type of family you’re living in. Mom is mom, dad is dad – we have our expectations, and if our children fail to meet them, it is up to us to let those children know how we feel about it.

My wife’s mother used to say “People will treat you the way you allow them to.” This goes for your children too. If you let them get away with back talk, disobedience, or other forms of disrespect, you’ll end up with uncontrollable children. Period. So, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in a blended family, or a single parent, or a gay parent, or whatever – the need to believe that you are worthy of respect is absolutely crucial.

When it comes to teaching, the bottom line is we’re all teachers. Every person our children encounter has the ability to teach them something, whether it’s the mailman who is kind and reliable, the grocery clerk who reminds you that you forget one of your bags, their teacher, your best friends, your spouse, your significant other, or whoever. Our job is to teach our children to navigate the world and, no matter who else is offering lessons, it’s our responsibility as parents, or step parents, or half-parents, or foster parents to be confident in the things we teach them.

It’s true that I’ve had the benefit of parenting with a wonderful partner, and my children have benefited from the consistency of a two parent household. But there are plenty of children out there who have benefited from common sense values and principles – whether their parents read my book or not.

Believe in yourself. Believe in your children. You will not be disappointed.

September 4, 2014/1 Comment/by Common Sense Dad

Personal Updates

Harmony at Home

Imagine a group of musicians each playing a different song, in a different key at a different tempo. It would be chaos – and it would sound terrible.

Now imagine a family like that.

If you’ve ever played, sung, or performed musically with others, it should be pretty easy to understand that parenting is a lot like leading your own band.

As parents, our job is to raise our children as if we were band leaders giving them music lessons, helping them to understand how to play their individual instruments (personalities) and teaching them to integrate our choice of tempo, key, and volume into their daily lives.

When our children are very young, we start by teaching them specific behaviors – like saying “please” and “thank you.” How to sit still, and the importance of looking at people when speaking with them are the equivalent of teaching them to play scales on their instruments. The more often they practice those “scales”, the more comfortable they become with their position in the band.

In our family, the tempo is relaxed but firm. We expect our children to learn their basics and to practice them at every possible juncture. If we go to the market, we teach them to say hello to the checker. When they have class, we teach them to be on time. When they need to play well with other children, we teach them to share. These are the basic forms (scales and melodies) that they will play throughout their lives.

While they’re learning what’s expected of them, we also make a point of playing our own instruments at the tempo we expect. We set an example in the house by remaining consistent and calm. If Mommy or Daddy is on the phone, it’s not the right time to interrupt. When it’s time for bed, well, it’s time for bed. If someone else in the band (a sibling) needs a little extra practice time, we expect our other children to understand – and if they don’t understand, we explain that perhaps they need to spend some time practicing on their own, in their room.

We also pay attention to the “key” in which our family is playing. I grew up in a home where loud arguing was a norm. At some point in my life I decided that I didn’t want my home to sound like that. So JoAnn, my wife, and I chose to omit the whole angry yelling thing. It doesn’t mean we agree about everything. We just agree not to raise our voices about it.

Some people think that imposing expectations or restrictions on their child will inhibit creativity, but just look at music to understand how necessary and liberating a controlled and structured environment can be. Everyday we are entertained by the conventionally confined, well-structured creativity that is the world of music.

Once the scales, tempo, and key have been determined, we have to demand a certain level of performance from our kids. We do this by letting them know when they’re out of time or off key, and by encouraging them to listen better and to stay in tune. At some point, the kids begin to see themselves as active participants in the band. They understand that when they are moving in our tempo and our key, things sound pretty good around the house. Most importantly, once they as players have proven that they know their basics, we – as band leaders and conductors – can allow them to improvise more and more. This is where their creativity and individuality comes in.

Like any band, ours is made up of different instruments. Each of us has our own sound, our own range, and our own part in the songs that are being played. Some of us may like to play the melody, while others may prefer to harmonize or just “keep time.” By respecting these differences, we are able to arrange the music we play (as a family) into music that is comfortable and pleasing to all of us..

Ultimately, as parents it’s our job to create harmony, and to lead our children to play parts that fit well with everyone else. For our own sanity and comfort, it’s necessary to get everyone playing the same song, at the same tempo and in the same key. Ignoring dissonance allows it to become a habit – and so we always seek to correct the sour notes.

Over the years we have all learned to listen better. We have learned to compliment each other’s solos, to choose similar themes, and to share the enjoyment of playing together. Like any good band, we respect the basics, we remember our scales, and we encourage each other to improve. We also roll our eyes every once in a while.

Be a rock star parent, teach your children to play and to listen. Before you know it, your home will be filled with harmony and you’ll always be looking forward to your next “jam” session.

Photo Credit: Marisa Quinn

August 28, 2014/0 Comments/by Common Sense Dad

Personal Updates

Teaching Tolerance

When we were newlyweds ourselves, JoAnn and I were often successful matchmakers. We had one friend in particular – a talented, smart, and handsome co-worker of mine named Phil — who was very eligible and very single. I was pretty direct with him about our desire to fix him up.

One day, as I was telling Phil about a particularly wonderful candidate, he said something that would inform me for the rest of my life: “You know those Chasidic Jews who walk down Farifax Avenue (a Jewish section of LA) wearing black outfits with big furry hats?” “Well, I’m not one of them – but I’m glad they are.”

I didn’t quite understand “So?”

Then he said “You and JoAnn are happy being a couple. You enjoy being together and sharing your lives. I’m not one of you, but I’m glad you are.

There it was, the best definition of tolerance I’d ever encountered. It was a method for recognizing, understanding and appreciating the differences between myself and others.

I believe that wonder and the ability to listen to many different kinds of people are skills that need to be taught at an early age. One reason I wrote my book was to help guide parents toward open, secure, and loving family relationships that would facilitate honest communication and appreciation of differences.

This perspective is easier to assume locally than it is globally, because we can operate based on our own experience. It’s a matter of teaching our children to be curious about other cultures, to understand other religions, and to appreciate diversity in their world and even in their own family. Every time I completely “misjudge a book by its cover” I am reminded of this.

Hate is simply an expression of ignorance.

As humans we have so much in common – the love of our children, the joys of music, dance, and laughter. Since these exist in every culture, it’s hard for me to understand people who can’t just “live and let live.” Yet no matter how I wish those people weren’t out there, they are – and teaching our children not to let those bad apples spoil the whole bunch is another important lesson for all of us. As Rodney King said “Can’t we all just get along?”

This has been a very busy week. A lot of opinions have been flying around in social media – about depression, about Gaza, about Ferguson, Missouri. These are all important subjects and very worthy of discussion.” But the “discussions” so quickly dissolve into name-calling and re-proclaiming entrenched positions. All issues generate opinions, but others also require facts. I believe “The Truth Floats” and, sometimes we just have to wait and see where we end up. But arguing and name calling doesn’t seem to get any of us closer to a solution.

There is no question that life is a work in progress and that we make sharing a planet much more complicated than would seem necessary. But if we can start by teaching tolerance within our own families, we may, someday, have a better world.

So, I’m not one of you, but I’m glad you are. Thanks for reading.

August 16, 2014/0 Comments/by Common Sense Dad

Personal Updates

On Fame and Fatherhood

“Don’t get a big head” was what I heard from my high school soccer coach. I had just debuted as the team goalie and we had beaten our biggest rival in a 1-0 shutout. After a childhood filled with criticism fueling piles of self-doubt, getting a “big head” was as far from my nature as things could get. Nonetheless, I took the pats on the back with a smile and great pride.

Later in the year, I was playing catcher on our school baseball team when we faced the same rival. As their number four batter stepped into the batter’s box he looked at me and said “Hey, you’re the goalie, aren’t you?” I acknowledged his recognition and we played on. It felt good. I was somebody. I was the goalie.

That was my first brush with celebrity, and I really liked it.

Over the years I yearned for broader success; the admiration of a community that went beyond those I actually knew. I hoped for recognition as a smart executive, creator of a television show, writer of brilliant screenplays and, to some degree I worked toward those goals simultaneously. But I also got older and wiser.

Over time I have observed the lives of many celebrities. Some are our friends, with whom it’s always exciting to “hang,” and some just people caught in the limelight whose every move somehow seems noteworthy. Hanging out with them is cool. You get the aura without the oppression that life as a celebrity brings. Imagine having people trying to photograph you at all times, not being safe to sunbathe on your own porch, or having a moment of emotional honesty become everyone’s “business.”

The majority of my time getting older was devoted to making the most of my marriage and parenting our four kids. I dabbled with the famous screenplay, I went to work every day and tried to make good deals, and over time I found myself becoming the hero I wanted to be by just doing my job as a dad. When I chaperoned the fifth grade lake trip, I gained notoriety by effectively and immediately quieting my bunk through the simple dropping of one “F bomb”. My baseball teams were known for good sportsmanship. I was the guy who announced at the Christmas show that it wasn’t very nice to leave before the show was over, just because your child had already performed. These things were my stuff of local legend.

While that was going on, my kids were being surrounded by a different type of celebrity: athletes shooting steroids, singers using drugs, vapid starlets making headlines for the size of their bottoms or the cut of their dresses.

As I saw it, it was my job to be the guy who my children most admired. That didn’t mean I gave them everything, or that I coerced them into loving me via Stockholm Syndrome. I just tried to be the person who they knew had an answer for them. I wasn’t about athletic prowess, although I played softball every Sunday, and I wasn’t about medical knowledge, although I cleaned a lot of wounds and kissed away a lot of boo boos.

I was about showing them that I could be their hero because I knew who I was. I tried to be confident, but not pushy; flexible, but not a sucker; and even funny, but not at the wrong times. This, to me, was the behavior of the type of celebrity I most wanted my kids to emulate.

So, my once huge celebrity goals have been revised downward. I am, to some degree, satisfied with being a celebrity in my own family. My wife and I started the fan club – we are each other’s biggest supporters — and then we created a flock of children who revere me, listen to me, and are (most times) proud to be with me. Like all celebrities, I am subject to criticism from my fans – usually about wardrobe choices, loud chewing, and telephonic habits. My grand plan now involves having grand children…and making them laugh.

I’ve also recognized that I still haven’t given up on getting out my message. I admit that I’d like very much to be recognized for a parenting philosophy that is approachable and easy to understand. I am still excited every time I write a blog post offering others good information, and me the opportunity to be recognized, just as the goalie of my youth.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d be happy with a thousand Twitter followers, or increased books sales. I’m eager to put myself out there to make those things happen. But being the husband of my favorite person and a celebrity in the lives of my children will always be good enough for me.

August 8, 2014/0 Comments/by Common Sense Dad

Personal Updates

Building Your Creative Child

I’ve encountered a number of parents who, in their zeal to have “creative” children, resist discipline in their parenting process. They explain that they “want their child to be free to create” and to be “undiminished by structure” – which is fine if you and your family live in a vacuum.

Being the logical sort that I am, I am keenly aware of the structures and “systems” that surround our lives. I wake up, I get out of bed, I wash my face and hands, I floss (maybe), I brush my teeth (for sure), I dress, and I go to work. That is a “system”. Each event within that system has its own procedure. Our lives are filled with systems most of which are “creative.” In fact, one could argue that any system that allows variation is creative.

Driving is wonderful metaphor for understanding the creative process. As drivers, we make a lot of creative choices; we choose our routes, we control our timeframe, and we achieve the goal (of getting to our destination). In the process, we could exclusively use our gas pedal all the time. We could ignore all signage or other drivers and be unfettered by the limitations of the “system.” That might work for the short term! During that time, our “creativity” might be un-hindered by the oppression of structure, but the people around us would be pretty disturbed, and to some degree put at risk.

Creativity without a system is chaos, and I choose to avoid chaos.

“But my child is only two!” you might say. “They’re not driving!” And I’d say, “The earlier your child learns the rules of the road, the sooner he or she will be a safe driver who can navigate the world and make smart “creative” decisions.

Another wonderful metaphor for proving the importance of discipline in creativity is music.

Anyone who listens to music is subject to the conventions of the musical system. Almost every song we listen to is structured and thousands of them are derived from the same three chords. When musicians play in “ensemble” there is a need to keep their sound harmonious; which is achieved through “key” and “tempo”. Even jazz, the most “fluid” of the musical genres, has a structure.

When musicians are young, they learn to play their instruments. They play scales, they practice, they count, and they listen. Once they can play their parts they can learn to improvise. Sure, there are exceptions, but all professional musicians know the basics of the system.

The last ingredient in this process is wonder. Developing a child’s sense of wonder is as easy as wondering about things out loud when you’re with them. “Where do you think clouds come from?” “Do you ever wish our dog could talk?” “What’s your favorite color?” “How does a lightbulb work?”

When they respond, do your best to engage. Listen to their often very entertaining answers… and don’t criticize their theories (as my parents did). Guide, but don’t humiliate. Teach, but don’t preach. Lead to conclusions – don’t land on them. All of these steps will help your child learn the imaginative process and gain confidence as they explore the world around them.

So, how do you build your creative child?

Teach them the basics.
Show them how to operate within the system.
Encourage them to wonder about things…and
Allow them to improvise in harmony with the rest of your family.

And the next time you find yourself falling for the “discipline stifles creativity” stuff – think about the value of teaching your children to run red lights.

August 2, 2014/4 Comments/by Common Sense Dad

Book Excerpt

Parenting – The Shared Adventure

What happens when two strong individuals come together to raise a child? Are they able to surrender control? How do they deal with sharing tasks? Who gets to be right and who gets to be wrong? How can they make positive communication a habit and avoid criticizing each other. Most importantly, how can they make their baby a project that will bring them together rather than drive them apart?

Thinking about this, JoAnn (my wife) and I recounted some of our experiences as new parents. And even though JoAnn has a Masters degree in Education, I found that our mutual common sense had been an additionally important guide.

We thought of the process as a SHARED adventure, and imagined that we had been dropped into the jungle together with machetes, but no compass or map. From there, we’d decide to chop our way out based on our gut feelings. If one direction didn’t work, we’d reassess and try another knowing that we were making the decisions together and we’d ultimately find our way out.

First, we had to accept and embrace our rookie status. As rookies, we could look at each event as a new adventure. Changing a diaper, cleaning an umbilical cord, putting the baby in and out of the car seat – these were entirely new experiences to be shared, discussed, and dissected in a loving and mutually helpful way. We were both equally interested in pleasing the other and protecting the baby. So accepting that a slip of the hand, or an accidental pinch with a buckle was “nobody’s fault” made us equally confident.

The early tasks were simple. The baby was either hungry, playing, tired, or asleep. In the first months there were worrisome little things; rashes, crying, maybe a cold or fever, but generally speaking we saw our job as welcoming the baby into the world and helping to make the baby comfortable.

Around four months, there are actual biological changes occurring in babies that make them increasingly aware of the surrounding world. Suddenly, they have opinions. They cry when we leave them alone and they start expressing themselves. When these control issues arose, JoAnn and I counted on each other for collective intelligence and strength. It’s human nature to want things to go your way, but with babies, you don’t really have as much control as you’d like. In our case, we knew we had a bigger picture. We wanted to fit our babies into our lives, rather than change our schedules to accommodate them. We wanted our babies to understand that we were determined, as a team, to do what was best for them – within the framework of our reasonable expectations. Having a plan allowed us to roll with whatever came our way.

As parents, we were both equally new to the task, and we each brought our own skills. Once problems popped up, we would discuss them. If we felt marginalized – we’d bring it up! If one of us had disengaged, the other would reconnect! As rookies, how else would we learn? The shared adventure allowed even the most ridiculous moments to bring us together.

Once, as an infant, Aaron was listless and had a fever. The doctor gave us some liquid medicine. Unfortunately, Aaron was determined NOT to take the medicine. We filled the dropper and, over a period of ten minutes, both JoAnn and I tried approaching him in every possible cute and innovative way. He would have none of it. When the dropper would come near, he’d clench his lips and turn his head from side to side. Although this made a nice purple horizontal line on his cheeks, we were stuck. How were we going to get this serum into our very willful baby?

We talked about it a bit and, despite Aaron’s tears and objection, we knew we had to give him the medicine. We put him on the floor and, while I held his flailing hands, arms, and legs down, JoAnn locked his head between her knees and forced the dropper between his lips. Once she squirted the medication into his mouth he froze, stopped crying, and made a “What the heck was that?” face. We had been pushed to an extreme we had never anticipated. We had just used physical strength to overpower our child in order to do what was right. We stared at each other, emotionally spent.

It wasn’t fun. It was a real challenge. But we both knew it was part of our job. We laugh about it now, but at the time we never thought we’d have to get physical with our children. We knew we’d done what had to be done. We’d done it together, and that’s what mattered.

As parents and partners, we have to do our best to give up our critical ways. We have to understand that the process is unpredictable, a set of lessons to be learned. We must never forget that the process has enough flexibility to allow for mistakes. What’s really important is learning from those mistakes by sharing them, talking about them, and even laughing about them.

June 18, 2014/0 Comments/by Common Sense Dad

Personal Updates

Necessity is the Mother of Happiness

None of us should expect to be happy all the time. We can, however, choose to be happy most of the time, and being happy is not only a matter of perspective, but also a healthy long-term strategy. Although the expression is “Necessity is the mother of invention.”, I have learned the importance of “inventing” my own happiness.

In the 1960s-era comedy record “Stan Freberg Presents – The United States of America” Columbus is imagined saying to a group of Native Americans, “Say, I’d like to take a few of you guys back with me, to prove I discovered you.” The Chief, shocked and confused says, “What you mean discovered us? We discovered you standing here on the beach!” Finally they agree, “It’s all how you look at it.”

We all encounter upsetting things every day. Your call doesn’t get returned. Your car breaks down. Your best friend breaks down! But hiding underneath each of those events there’s always a little piece of good news.

My friend Mitch got into a car accident. He survived without injury, but his car suffered some serious damage. Mitch took the car to a mechanic for diagnosis and rehab. His mechanic said, “I have bad news and good news, which do you want first?”

Being an optimist, Mitch said, “Give me the bad news first.”

“Okay,” said the mechanic, “Your car is totaled. But here’s the good news. You’re going to get a new car!”

“But I’ll have to pay for it,” Mitch said. “The insurance won’t cover the cost of a new car.”

The mechanic remained cheerful: “Yeah, but you’re still going to get a new car!”

In retrospect, the mechanic was right. Mitch did get a new car and weeks later, after the sting of the accident had worn off, he was actually driving around on a nice set of wheels. Although things seemed bleak at first, there was actually a positive outcome.

The parent of a Japanese American friend of mine once told us this story. A farmer’s horse had run off. Hearing this news, all the people in the nearby town came running to the farmer’s home: “This is such bad news. How are you going to plow your fields? How will you make a living?” The farmer simply said, “Good news? Bad news? It’s just news.”

The next day the farmer’s horse returned – followed by two wild horses that the farmer put in a pen. “What good news for you!” cried the people of the town “You are so fortunate!” Again, the farmer said “Good news? Bad news? It’s just news.”

The following day, the farmer’s son was thrown and broke his arm while training one of the wild horses. The townspeople bemoaned the situation: “Oh no! What will you do? Your son cannot work. You will not be able to harvest. This is such bad news!” The farmer was sad about his son, but again he replied, “Good news? Bad news? It’s all just news.”

The following week the country went to war and all the young men were called to join the army. But the farmer’s son couldn’t go because he had a broken arm….

News. It’s all how you look at it.

As parents, our job is to teach our children how to be happy — which is why pessimism and worrying out loud are not particularly good family activities. No matter how cynical we may have become (and a certain degree of cynicism is unavoidable), it’s our job to be idealists – to believe that picking up one piece of trash is part of cleaning up the world, or that helping a friend in need (or even a stranger) could actually save their life. The beauty of this is that it WORKS !!!

Here are five ways to help your children find their happiness:

Be Positive – Encourage them and affirm them – avoid criticizing.
Share good news – Focus on the positives in your life and the lives of others. New babies! Fun visitors! Good fortune!
Don’t carry bad news – Try to avoid repeating hard luck stories. We all know people who love to gossip about other people’s problems. Try not to be one of those people. Share concern, offer solutions, but don’t carry that stuff around with you.
Have faith and root for underdogs – Teach your kids to find the good in everyone and everything. It’s there.
Show them the silver linings – I was very small when I started high school, about five feet. I cried about it a lot, but there was nothing I could do. At some point, a ball got stuck on the other side of a chain link fence. I was the only person whose hand was small enough to fit through and recover the ball. It was my mother who pointed out that advantage to me. Yea – it sucked to be small. But it also had benefits.

My feelings got hurt in situations that had nothing to do with me. My heart got broken by misunderstandings – and repaired by honest communication.

Happiness is a choice, and I’ve seen that many of us complicate our lives by reacting emotionally to situations that have not yet played out. I learned these lessons by wasting a lot of emotion. We’ve all been there. Stay calm and carry on.

It’s all how we look at it.

June 6, 2014/0 Comments/by Common Sense Dad

Personal Updates

A Lazy Dad is Not All Bad

“Lazy” isn’t a word that is often associated with “better,” but I must confess that I am, and have always been, a lazy father. Sure, I’ve coached a lot teams, driven a bunch of carpools and changed my share of diapers – but I’ve always done it the easiest way possible – MY way.

Doing things my way isn’t as bad as it sounds. I do listen and I am concerned about the opinions of others – especially those of my wife – but I generally have a plan, and having a plan makes navigating the day-to-day much easier.

I consider myself a pretty flexible person. I’m open to new music. I can stop and smell the roses, I can let my kids play with the hose for hours on end. There’s plenty of room for improvisation in our family, but I see it as my job to be sure that we all play at the same tempo and in the same key. In that way there is harmony in our home. By teaching our kids to play harmoniously within our behavioral expectations, JoAnn and I have simplified our lives. Being able to rely on our children, their judgment, and the way they behave has made our job as parents a lot easier.

Here are three tips that will help simplify your life as a parent.

LEAD WITH AUTHORITY

From the start we listened to our children, but we did things our way. Our kids had no choice about bed time, or when it was time to leave the park, or about sitting in their car seat, or about wearing a helmet when they rode their bikes. Those issues and many like them were not open to debate. In fact, in our family “Because I said so!” became “This is not a debate.”

TEACH THEM TO ACCEPT NO

Once your children learn that no means no, you don’t have to expend a lot of energy explaining or debating things. That’s just the way it goes. “No” is often a really good answer.

At some point we all have to learn to live with “no”. The sooner we can teach our kids to accept the tough lesson and move toward “yes”, the less complex our lives will be. We all come up against situations in which we do not get our way. In school, it’s often a teacher who doesn’t cut us slack, or who doesn’t “understand our problem.” Then it’s our boss, or a banker, or whoever is offering pushback and keeping us from attaining our goal. Learning to live with authority teaches our children to operate within a system and to problem solve in order to get what they want. Starting these lessons at home, where the “authority” is also a loving one, is the best way to ease them into a not-so-friendly world.

LET THEM ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES

I’m also not a parent who thinks it’s my job to entertain my kids.

Once I’m satisfied that they are in a safe environment (which might be slightly less safe than the environment JoAnn would call safe), I’m happy to lay back and let them figure things out for themselves. Sometimes acclimation time is required, but my objective is to get them accustomed to entertaining themselves – whether it’s flying imaginary airplanes, conquering dragons, or playing in the dirt.

Being “bored” is a problem that children should learn to solve for themselves. JoAnn’s mother had the perfect solution when JoAnn would mope into the room and say “I’m bored.” Her mom would say “Why don’t you go bang your head against the wall until you can think of something to do.” Quick, efficient, and effective. Translation – your boredom is not my problem. Lazy? Some might think so – but it’s an important part of a long-term plan. The more problems my kids can solve for themselves, the fewer I have to solve for them — and that will be true throughout their lives.

So, yeah… I’m lazy. I don’t want to do more work than is necessary to teach my children how to navigate the world. As I note in my book, “Raising Children That Other People Like to be Around,” being calm, avoiding panic, and having a plan teaches our children that they can rely on us, so that ultimately… we can rely on them.

May 31, 2014/0 Comments/by Common Sense Dad

Personal Updates

A Great Birthday Gift for Toddlers

There are few better opportunities to teach our children about the feelings of others than their birthdays – and the way we celebrate them.

Birthday parties thrown for one-year-olds are clearly done for the benefit of the parents and posterity. Get lots of pictures, be sure you feed the adults, and hire a clown (or enlist your most energetic relative).

The rules for two-year-olds are pretty much the same. Line em up. Get pictures and video (because they’re talking now). Hire a clown who makes balloon animals.

At three years old, the party scene gets dicier. If your child is in pre-school, invite everyone in the class (certainly through kindergarten). Doing this teaches kids that we are sensitive to everyone’s feelings – even the ones they don’t “care” about. To model this sentiment, we even invite the kid with the weird parents. We teach this lesson because we should – not because we agree about a specific kid or not. Hindsight has taught me that these idealistic positions are absorbed, learned, and applied by our children later in their lives, so don’t be afraid of teaching your kid to do the right thing even if you’ve grown a little cynical about it yourself!

After that third birthday, our messaging about gifts and courtesy becomes more complex.

I recently read about parents using electronic invitations that include preferences and suggestions about gifts for their children. I understand the value of adults “registering” for wedding and baby gifts, but doing the same for children hadn’t really crossed my mind – because at a certain point you realize that spending more than twenty bucks on a gift for a little friend is slightly insane. Nonetheless, I understand the concept of wanting to get gifts that will please a recipient. This is a multi-faceted issue and just buying a pre-defined gift may cause us to miss some very important teaching opportunities.

One of the hardest things about being a parent is walking the fine line between “You are wonderful and deserve everything you desire.” and “You can’t always get what you want.” We all know that Life is not perfect – and neither are parents, or kids, or relatives, or friends. So, does it make sense for us to try and create a perfect world for our children?

As early as three or four years old children can be taught that giving gifts requires some creativity and forethought. This can actually be a fun exercise. Go to CVS, set a price limit, and tell your child to pick something for their friend. You’ll be surprised what they find (and you can always explain why Epson Salts are not appropriate).

Sometimes birthday kids don’t know what they want, but there can be value in getting things they don’t want (or think they don’t want)…especially when a month after their birthday they’re home sick and they find the unopened game in their closet that captures their imagination for the next two days.

Yes… I have personal experience with this – “Tantalizer” – the best game ever!

Teaching our children to receive a gift gracefully is a necessity. This is a real opportunity to demonstrate for them that even if it’s not what they wanted, people’s feelings are more important than “things.”

The sooner kids learn to deal with disappointment, the better. (I know some parents say that they don’t want their children to feel the sadness they felt as young people. But I believe that creating a world for them where no one says no, or where they are empowered beyond reason is actually doing them a significant disservice.)

Life is not always going to go their way. Learning to be positive about receiving any gift, even if it’s not what they wanted, will serve them well for the rest of their lives.

Even the wrong gifts are good gifts.

Birthdays are wonderful celebrations – especially when we remember to keep gratitude, inclusion, and grace on our guest lists.

May 22, 2014/0 Comments/by Common Sense Dad