When our boys were young, we mistakenly thought our summers would eventually get less busy as they got older.  Between summer vacations, sports, camps, and family visits, our summer schedule got completely booked. While all of it was very exciting and fun, we made sure to always schedule Family Fun Night in the midst of all the summer busyness. Family Fun Night is a purposeful evening dedicated to enjoying time together as a family. This [...]

We recently read about an idea that really resonated with us.  It described how children need their parents’ blessing.  A blessing from mom and dad communicates unconditional acceptance and affirmation while greatly impacting a child’s identity.  Your blessing frees their hearts and minds to grow into all the good things you as a parent want for them. For Dads, it's especially important to know the impact your blessing has in the lives of your children.  [...]

C.J. Stroud, quarterback of the Houston Texans after taking his team to the playoffs: “I’m just blessed enough to be the vessel that Christ picked to lead this great franchise.”  That response is compared to Megan Rapinoe’s shout during the parade celebrating the U.S. Women’s Soccer team’s 2019 World Cup title, “I deserve this,” she shouted repeatedly. If your family watches sports, it’s inevitable that your child will watch with you and want to know [...]

When you were a child, did anyone teach you how to properly greet a neighbor, a friend or a guest? How to accept a compliment or what the proper behavior should look like at a restaurant or when friends come over for dinner? If so, did you know why it was important that you show such courtesy and respect? One practical piece of advice that has served us well in our parenting is to Role Play [...]

Everyone has been or will be wronged. They will be slightly offended or grievously injured and with every degree and variation in between. And the worst of the injuries will be from intimates. It is part of the human condition - set up that way where imperfect people with imperfect information with limited time, limited resources, and limited maturity act out, make choices, and cause harm. Some do it deliberately, but mostly they do it [...]

Parenting is a year-round process, yet summer brings a unique opportunity to amplify our parenting efforts. The relaxed pace of the season, with its sunshine and family activities, provides an ideal backdrop for “supercharging” our parenting initiatives while enjoying the fun of the season together. We’ve always been proponents of goal setting and planning, as evidenced in our Tuesday Letters. That’s why we’ve crafted a Summertime Checklist—a guide to help you prepare or revisit parenting strategies [...]

Guidelines from the American Psychological Association states, “traditional masculinity – marked by stoicism, competitiveness, dominance and aggression – is, on the whole, harmful”. Essentially a ‘boys will be boys’ mentality is toxic. Creating a world where bullying and sexual predation is unacceptable is worthy of everyone’s time and attention. Certainly, parents must sort through the implications of how to raise up boys into the next generation of men. So, what are we to think? Are [...]

May is a significant month for graduations at all educational levels, from preschool and kindergarten to elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. It marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another in life. This time can be filled with excitement, emotion, joy, and even a bit of anxiety for both the graduates and their parents. With our boys having graduated from college, we are reminded of what a meaningful milestone [...]