“I am my father’s son.” That phrase has carried more meaning for me as the years have passed. When I was a teenager, my father went to play handball one afternoon. Somewhere in the middle of the game, he collapsed. He passed out right there on the court, and an ambulance rushed him to the hospital. For me, as a young man, it felt shocking—something serious must have happened. But the diagnosis was surprisingly simple: [...]
Hey guys, this is Dave. In trying to come up with a topic for today’s letter, I was thinking back on all the things I thought were difference makers, you know, those actions on my part that stood out as a family builder. I did the ‘dad writes a note’ in the kids’ lunch sack, and that was really good, but Lis was the one who reminded me to do it. I ate dinner at [...]
“Our first child slept like a dream, but our 2nd, was totally different. With our 2nd, after 2 years we were still waking up multiple times a night - we were at our wits end. Now after going through sleep training with you where we learned so much about her rhythm, her sleep indicators, and all the other factors that helped her fall asleep with a little support and importantly fall back asleep with very [...]
Our adult children enjoy that their siblings are a part of their inner circle. When our children were college students they connected regularly about life’s issues. When our kids were in high school and middle school, they leaned on each other during times of drama, accepted one another’s company among their friends, and shared life as part of the Marr team. The connection and loyalty we see today did not appear suddenly in adulthood; it [...]
Esta semana, concluimos una serie de dos partes sobre bendecir a tus hijos de Lis y Dave Marr. Aquí tienes un enlace a la Parte Uno – Hijas: La Fundación de Padres – Cómo los padres pueden bendecir a sus hijas — y por qué es importante Los niños crecen viendo a su padre. Más que palabras, las acciones de papá hablan el idioma que los niños entienden. Los chicos observan y absorben los gestos [...]
This week, we conclude a two-part series about blessing your children from Lis and Dave Marr. Here is a link to Part One – Daughters: The Dad Foundation – How Dads Can Bless Their Daughters — And Why It Matters Boys grow up watching their dad. More than words, dad’s actions speak the language kids understand. Boys watch and absorb dad’s mannerisms over time; the way he works, the way he relaxes, the things he’s [...]
Esta semana comenzamos una serie de dos partes sobre bendecir a tus hijos de Lis y Dave Marr. Hoy, todo gira en torno a las hijas y la semana que viene a los hijos. La bendición de un padre tiene un poder que pocas fuerzas en el desarrollo de un niño pueden igualar. Especialmente para las hijas, las palabras, la presencia y la afirmación de su padre moldean a la mujer que llevan al mundo. [...]
This week we begin a two-part series about blessing your children from Lis and Dave Marr. Today, it’s all about daughters and next week, sons. A father’s blessing has a power few forces in a child’s development can match. For daughters especially, dad’s words, presence, and affirmation shape the woman they carry into the world. In this often vicious culture full of pressure, comparison, and insecurity, a father has the rare affirming opportunity to anchor [...]
Una joven madre maravillosa le pidió recientemente a Lis que me diera consejo sobre qué hacer porque ha alcanzado un nuevo umbral de desarrollo con su hija, que es similar a los retos que tuvimos cuando éramos padres jóvenes. Cuando la familia está en movimiento y tiene que estar en algún lugar a una hora determinada, necesitas que todos en la familia se preparen al máximo de sus posibilidades. Piensa en la complejidad de la [...]
A wonderful young mom recently asked Lis for some insight into what to do because she’s hit a new developmental threshold with her daughter which is similar to the challenges we had as young parents. When the family is on the move and has to be somewhere at a certain time, you need everyone in the family to get ready to the extent of their ability. Think about the complexity of the statement: “In 30 [...]