Teach your child…the past can follow you

The permanent record: two words that used to strike fear into every public school kid a few decades ago. The threat of a teacher putting an infraction on the permanent record was enough to cause most kids to straighten up right quick! Some kids didn’t care two hoots, and others never did anything wrong. But for […]

Teach your kids…clean cloths are important

I’ll confess, I still use the sniff test on occasion. Just about every college kid knows what that is, and every guy, regardless of age, relies on the sniff test.  Does this smell dirty?  If yes, it might make it to the laundry.  If no, add it back to the clean clothes.While there are seasons when […]

Food surgery

My kids found this to be a hoot. The seriousness of the video makes it all the more funny. Check out this Spinal KitKat Implantation in a 3 Musketeers. (yes, I really did just type that — go check it out, then it will make sense)

Teach your child…how to boil water

What do we do three times a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year? Eat, of course. And how much preparation did you get on how to accomplish the activity that precedes eating while you still lived at home? How much preparation have you given to your child(ren) in that activity? We eat […]

Teach your child…How to say “No”

I never thought of myself as one who was much affected by peer pressure, until this encounter: College.  Freshman year.  Hanging out with a sophomore and soccer teammate.  She recounts for me a party she went to over the weekend: at some point, one of the gals she was with had the bright idea to take […]

My Year of Saying “Yes” to Everything

Well, it wasn’t my year, but that’s the title of this talk by Shonda Rhimes.  I watched this a few weeks ago and was both encouraged and convicted.  I don’t relate to everything about Shonda: I’m not a mogul of any kind, but I do know the temptation to say to my kids, “no,” or […]