As our boys have gotten older, one parenting tool that we have utilized the most is planting seeds. While the generic concept of planting seeds is not new, our friends Dave and Lis provided us with a perspective that took the concept to a new level in our parenting with a 2 step approach – Planting seeds (initiate an idea or topic with a question) and Cultivation (ongoing conversation follow up). This tool has been [...]
Adventure. Doesn’t that sound exotic? To us the word conveys a sense of travel with new sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and experiences. To us the notion of adventure has been to answer the call of travel. Since Lis grew up in Sweden, we traveled to visit her parents every other year and took the opportunity to explore other countries. The stresses of travel can be pretty taxing on old and young alike, so having a [...]
Perfection is an impossible standard. Yet, in our results driven society, its amazing how the pursuit of perfection continues to be coveted in almost every aspect of life even though it derails us in our pursuits. The pursuit of perfection often leads to disappointment, shame, frustration, and feelings of failure. However, the pursuit of excellence leads to accomplishment, confidence, contentment, and feelings of fulfillment. This distinction was not only something we passed along in parenting [...]
Maybe your children are very young and the prospect of them going off into the world and being independent of you seems a far away dream. Your children are a part of your life and don’t have a life of their own so dependent are they on your inputs. You help them understand the world based on your understanding. Your views, your filtering of what they see, your nurturing and disciplining shapes their very understanding [...]
Last week, in The Purposeful Father-Part One, we covered the first four things dads can do to build and strengthen the bonds of trust with his children based upon The Father’s Mandate teaching that has wonderfully impacted our family and marriage. A father must cultivate a sense of Family Identity A father must regularly demonstrate love to his wife A father must respect his child’s private world A father must give his children the freedom [...]
Father’s Day is almost here, so we thought it would be great to re-examine a teaching that focuses on eight specific duties dads can intentionally implement that cultivate and strengthen the bonds of trust with his children. The Father’s Mandate lesson from Growing Kids God’s Way, by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, was an important catalyst for our marriage and for our kids. It gave Rich some practical ways to be more purposeful with the boys [...]
What we are seeing transpire in our country is heartbreaking and humbling at every level. The heart of the issues we are seeing are heart issues! Doing what is right and being better people begins at home. The job of every parent is to daily teach their children God’s commandments to love Him and love one another as we love ourselves. It is teaching them the How, the Why and the Way of God from [...]
Summer 2020 is here and it’s definitely very different than most summers. The last few months of distance learning are behind us and many of us are thinking, “what can I do to keep the kids entertained?” Traditionally, we may have had big vacations, a series of camps, summer sports leagues, pool days, amusement parks and other excitement to make it a memorable, meaningful, or magical summer. While those things are great, this summer how [...]
Happiness is a lifted spirit, an optimism in outlook. To live a life where happiness is a regular companion is to be faithful and persistent, willing to persevere through life’s challenges, and have enough emotional reserves to maintain goodwill for family and friends where you can respond and not react. Happiness is a skill and can be taught and should be a family requirement, not so much where you absolutely must display happiness at all [...]
It's graduation season... albeit celebrated much differently this year! Yet, in spite of current circumstances, there are preschoolers graduating to Kindergarten, Kindergartners to Elementary School, Elementary to Middle School, Middle Schoolers to High School and so on. All graduations, to varying degrees, have commencement addresses. These speeches are designed to impart wisdom and encourage students as they move to the next chapter in life. There is one commencement address that has really resonated with our [...]