“I’m bored…” The phrase nearly every parent hears throughout the summer, and it seems that it does not matter how many activities, camps, groups or events your child is signed up for – the issue of boredom is constantly lurking around the corner of the next hour. Inevitably, it happens around day two of summer....
It’s June 24th, and I am sitting in my office after an unscheduled early morning trip to the doctor. My wife and I are expecting a child in January, and we’ve been through the ups and downs of several miscarriages before now. Because of that fact we are understandably a little jumpy when it comes...
I always wanted to be one of those parents whose kids would grow up to say that their dad never yelled or snapped at them, that he was always cool and collected, disciplining out of love rather than reactivity. Unfortunately, I’m already ten years into this parenting thing and have botched it too many times...
I remember the first time I heard the idea of ‘celebrating the small stuff’. I was working in a non-profit ministry where the gains of my work were small, few and far-between. The reality was, if I waited for any big, grand successes to come I’d be waiting a long while. In the midst of this setting...
Sunday was the final round of the Masters golf tournament, and it was an especially good day because I got to see it again with my father. Watching that particular tournament on television was something I always used to love as a kid. Not only did it make for some good quality time with my...
‘Affirm’ as defined by Merriam Webster: – to say that something is true in a confident way : to show a strong belief in or dedication to (something, such as an important idea) Let’s flesh that out as it relates to parenting our kids. What can we affirm? Certainly, we can affirm their positive behaviors...
I remember hearing about the joys of parenthood many times over…and then I had 4 kids in 7 years. What joy is there in sleepless nights, constant mess, dirty diapers, monotonous routines, and sheer exhaustion? On top of that, I was told to try and have fun with my kids. Really? Comedian Jim Gaffigan put my...
As a parent of four, it’s very easy for me to spend a vast amount of my time cleaning up, watching out for, correcting, disciplining, planning, talking with, doing homework, entertaining, or resting from my kids. Over time, and sadly over a lot of wasted time, I’ve begun to realize how certain aspects of parenting are...
On a recent trip to Boston, I visited Fenway Park for the first time. Being at Fenway is like being in an old church. They have been playing baseball there since its gates were opened on April 20, 1912. It is the oldest park in the major leagues. I saw the Green Monster (pronounced “Monsta”...
When I was a high school student there was a large group of us that played a strange card game called “Mau.” This game was unlike any other card game I had played before, because the only way to learn it was to fail at it miserably. Let me explain. One of the first rules...
