Tag Archive for: parenting process

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…

3 Tips For Teaching Generosity at The Holidays

For many children, this time of year is about getting gifts far more than giving them. This is completely understandable, as these holidays are for many parents an opportunity to show children that we love them and we want them to 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…

How Sports Teach Us

This is a great time of year for sports. We’ve just seen a great French Open, Stanley Cup Final, and NBA Final. Whether you’re an athlete or not, sports offer real opportunities to teach values, focus, and tenacity.  As parents, even…

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 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…

The Hugs I Regret Not Giving

I don’t typically regret much. I believe what’s past is past. As I get older, however, the passage of time allows me to look back and consider life’s lessons. Our children are now grown, for the most part. Our sons are certainly men,…