In her first two-plus years of life, my daughter Lucy has only been sick a few times. For that, Kim and I count our blessings, as there is nothing more miserable and sad and pathetic than a sick little kid. In those times when she is suffering, I’d happily take on her sickness and carry it myself if given the chance. Even if it meant that whatever affliction would be ten times worse and last ten times longer. I’d do it. In a heartbeat. I know parents who have lost children to cancer and diabetes, and I know they'd agree with me. They would've given anything for the chance to trade …
Parenthood
Breaking the Rules: The Best Part of Parenting?
A few years ago, my sister-in-law took her pre-teen daughter to the midnight opening of the first Twilight movie. On a school night. I always thought that was the coolest thing ever. Granted, part of the reason I thought it was so cool is because it was a break from the norm. My brother and sister-in-law run a pretty tight ship. Rules are enforced and the kids are well-behaved. However, when Kim taught kindergarten, she encountered way too many parents who didn’t seem to think any rules were important. Their kids had no set bedtimes, watched rated-R movies, and pretty much ran the …
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Chinese Fire Drill Marks the Happiest Day in Marine’s Life
A few weeks ago, while packing up after a speaking program for a high school’s support staff, I had the privilege of chatting with one of the custodians. His name was Frank. Frank shared with me a story from his childhood, starring his father, a career Marine. The family operated pretty much as you might expect under the head of a someone who’d spent his whole life in the service and saw action in two wars. The kids had buzz cuts. The household was in perfect order. And when Dad spoke, you listened. …
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Mud is Too Dirty: Have You Become Your Parents?
Having kids does weird things to you. The gravity of being the one responsible for the care and development of another human being can be overwhelming. The role of responsible “grown-up” can make you terribly paranoid, overly strict, and endlessly stressed-out. …
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Michigan Mom Creates a Scene with Spaghetti
It has been said that we don't remember days, we remember moments. I like to call these moments "scenes." Like how there are certain scenes in certain movies that stand out as truly memorable... …
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Having “The Talk” With My Daughter
It was a huge moment. One that I hadn't expected would happen this early, quite honestly. And yet the opportunity arose and I knew I had to seize it. Before I realized it, I was having "THE TALK" with my daughter. Breathe deep, I told myself. This is a moment I had envisioned so often, but wasn't quite sure how I would handle it all. …
Speaking Snapshots: Little Lucy
My daughter Lucy recently turned two. But I still remember a lesson I learned when she was just a few months old. It is a lesson for which I have countless audiences members to thank, as I'm petty sure it will stick with me forever. And it's one of those things that I think applies to everyone, in one way or another, whether you have kids or not. I've been trying to share this little reminder wherever I go. Here's a clip from a speech I gave at a national conference last year: …
Darth Vader’s Do’s and Don’ts for Dads
With the 1977 release of Star Wars, audiences were introduced to Darth Vader, the baddest bad guy in the entire galaxy. As the story unfolded and the prequels arrived on the scene, many people were surprised to learn that Darth Vader was not always such a bad dude. It may be equally surprising to learn that Mr. Skywalker actually did a few thingsright in his role as dad. (But mostly wrong.) If you are a father, here are a few things you can take away from Luke and Leia's dear old dad... …
Key West Wisdom #5: What’s Your Legacy?
We recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in Key West, Florida. With the little one in excellent hands back home, we had a chance for some good old-fashioned doin' nothing. While soaking up some rays and enjoying the surf, we were hit with some bits of wisdom regarding stressing less and having more fun. So we decided to create a six-part video series sharing some of the thoughts we had while we were in a Key West state of mind. In this tip, I talk about one of the most important gifts to give your kids and grandkids, and how to go about doing it. Sign up to receive our …
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Key West Wisdom #2: Invest in Your Marriage
We recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in Key West, Florida. With the little one in excellent hands back home, we had a chance for some good old-fashioned doin' nothing. While soaking up some rays and enjoying the surf, we were hit with some bits of wisdom regarding stressing less and having more fun. So we decided to create a six-part video series sharing some of the thoughts we had while we were in a Key West state of mind. In this tip, we talk about the crucial importance of investing in your marriage relationship. Sign up to receive our free newsletter to get …
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