Tag Archive for: raising children

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The Homework Heretic

It’s back-to-school time and homework is in the news. Mrs. Brandy Young, a brilliant second-grade teacher in Godley, Texas sent a note home to parents explaining that her students would have no “formally assigned” homework this year.…
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Tyrants, Toddlers, and Trump

I know a number of people who have toddlers that they describe as “difficult.” These children have been complicated from the start.  As tiny tyrants, they’ve spit out their food, pounded the table, or thrown tantrums unabated…
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Our Son Says “We’re Pregnant!”

Our son Ben recently called and said “We’re pregnant!”  JoAnn, my wife, was very quick to point out that Ben’s wife, Kelsie is pregnant and that they are having a baby.  After all, JoAnn asks, “Is Ben nauseous all the time?” “Are…
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Being a Team Player

I’ve been getting a lot of calls lately about Adam LaRoche. He’s the former Chicago White Sox player who retired last week after being asked to limit the amount of time his 14-year-old son, Drake, was spending with the team. There wasn’t…

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.…

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…

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…