If you plant tomato seeds, you’ll get tomatoes, right? If you plant cucumber seeds, you’ll get cucumbers. You reap what you sow.  In the same way, the seeds you plant in your relationships determine what you’ll get in return. Do you want your children to be patient, kind and respectful to you? Then sow seeds of patience, kindness and respect to them. Want your spouse to be understanding, loving and loyal? Then sow...

Charles and Frank Duryea were the first to sell an automobile on March 31st, 1896 in the town of Springfield, Massachusetts.  When the first cars took to the roads, people thought they were impractical.  Today, they’re in the driveways of nearly every American home.  So celebrate this moment in history with your family. Take a car trip to an undiscovered local destination—together.  It doesn’t take a lot of...

My kids have taught me a lot of things… and I can tell you, it’s a very humbling experience.  One thing that they’ve shown me over and over again is my lack of patience.  For example, my impatience with the grocery store cashier during check out, or the waitress at a restaurant, and my impatience driving them to school.  You get the picture!   It’s kind of embarrassing to admit.  When they point out my impatience...

To understand how to relate to your stepchild you need to put yourself in their shoes.  How would you feel if your parents had split up?  How would you feel if your mom or dad had re-married?  And how would you feel if you now had somebody new telling you what to do?   Getting a stepparent can be a big transition for a child.  So when they misbehave or aren’t exactly nice to you—before you lose your temper or take...

I was playing the simulated military game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with my teenage son… and I’m really bad at it.  The mission is to kill the bad guys or be killed.  In real life, what do you do when someone takes aim at you and starts to fire?  Fire back, right?  Well, that’s our instinct, but our call of duty is to receive the “friendly fire,” and not pull the verbal trigger… even though everything in us...

In the hit television show, Undercover Boss, CEOs trade places with their employees.  These unknowing employees train the disguised boss in a variety of hands-on jobs.  Out of his element, the boss struggles to find his footing, but in the process learns what matters most to his employees—both on the job and at home.  So here’s the challenge for you.  Husbands, trade places with your wife for a day.  Wives, walk a...

Playing favorites with your children is a dangerous game. Preferring one child over another can destroy family unity… and cause lasting emotional damage for the “unfavored” child.  Maybe one daughter is prettier than her awkward sister; one son excels at academics or sports, while his brother struggles with grades, is more withdrawn, just plain ‘difficult’. It may feel natural to lavish attention on an exceptional...