No, not peer pressure… parent pressure. You know, pressure to allow your child to do things that other parents are letting their kids do… watch movies, listen to music, and wear clothes that are inappropriate for your child. The right decision for your child is usually the road not taken by many. It’s sometimes a hard and lonely road for a parent, but one that is much more likely to lead to a good life for your...
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Sleeping on the job. An air traffic controller is supposed to oversee and direct all the planes surrounding their airport. It’s a stressful and tiring job which results in fatigue, and sometimes unexpected naps. Well, parental fatigue is big, too. And it’s affecting our kids’ physical and emotional safety. We can’t fall asleep in the control tower of our children’s lives. Every time our children leave the...
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
That’s a question children hear all the time. And we enjoy hearing their answers… a doctor, a teacher, a fireman, a ballerina. But what if the question was not about what they wanted to do for a living, but who they wanted to be as a person? Less about career, and more about character. Imagine your child answering, “I want to be a person of integrity… of wisdom… of courage and conviction. I want to be patient…...
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Well, actually the concept of “stranger” can be confusing to children, so instead, teach them to recognize unsafe situations. Warn against adults who might stop to ask for directions or help in finding a lost pet. Tell your children never to go anywhere with an adult who doesn’t know the family password. Teach your children that it’s OK to run away or cause a loud scene if they feel someone might be dangerous....
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
The other day, my son tried on my reading glasses. “Wow!” he said, “I can see really good up close, but far away—it’s blurry.” That made me think … all children, whether they need glasses or not, are “near-sighted.” Like my son, they only see what’s up close… what’s happening today at school or tonight after dinner. Stuff in the distance —college, marriage, career—that’s more fuzzy and out of focus. Parents...
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Recently, I asked my son for his iPod so I could check out the songs he was listening to. I Googled the lyrics for the songs, and most were just fine. But I did find a couple that weren’t. I sat down with him and showed him the objectionable lyrics. While reading through the words, I think we were both a bit surprised at the coarse language, degradation of women and sexual content in the lyrics. After he...
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
All too often, moms and dads want their kids to pursue the same dreams they once had. The dad who was captain of the football team wants more than anything for his son to be the star of the team. The mom who was a concert pianist now drags her daughter to piano lessons every week in hopes that she’ll be in the spotlight. Instead of making your goals their goals, it’s important to let your kids dream their own...
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
