Every parent knows what I’m talking about: You find the perfect gift for your 4-year-old’s birthday, wrap it in his favorite Buzz Lightyear wrapping paper, and smile with satisfaction when he opens it and says, “All right! I wanted this! Thanks, Mom and Dad!” But no matter how grand the initial reaction, it never seems to fail that two hours later, that very toy is laying on the couch and your child is in his bedroom playing with the box it came in.
3 Things to Look for in a Teacher
Teachers oftentimes spend more time with children each week than their own parents do. That makes your child’s teacher a very significant influence. I’ve written before about the importance of hand-picking your child’s teacher, but what are the qualities you should look for in a good teacher? I’ll give you a hint: the one your child wants because he is “the funnest” probably isn’t the one.
Career Potential
Parents like to dream big for their kids. We may dream about our child one day becoming the doctor who discovers a cure for cancer, or the first astronaut to step foot on Mars, or an inspiring teacher who touches the lives of countless children, or perhaps an entrepreneur who creates amazing technological innovations. But sometimes, our kids demonstrate specific talents in other areas, and our dreams come face-to-face with another potential reality.
And we shudder.
Is Spanking Child Abuse?
Recently, Charlie over at HowToBeADad.com wrote a post that dealt with spanking children. He spoke up when he saw another dad who was too cavalier in hitting his own kid at the park. While Charlie didn’t specifically comment either way on corporal punishment as a whole, many of the commenters on that post had no problem letting their feelings on that issue be known. And to many of them, spanking in any form is on par with full-fledged child abuse.
I have some thoughts on that.
Breakfast Trek
Heidi had a doctor’s appointment on the other side of town and left Harrison and me to fend for ourselves this morning. I didn’t feel like fixing the Gray home standard breakfast of peanut butter toast and Whole Grain Cheerios, so I decided to take Harrison out for breakfast. Problem: Heidi took our only car to her appointment. Solution: Breakfast Trek!
Batman < Dad
I read a quote recently that was intended to be inspirational, but the longer it sits in my mind, the more it freaks me out. The quote, chiseled into a decorative wood plank and sitting on some guy’s desk, read: “Dad – a son’s first hero.” Awesome, right? I thought so too — at first. Well now I can’t get over the thought that, if this quote is true (and I definitely think it is), it gives us dads a uniquely critical challenge in life. Are we up for being the first real hero our boys will ever have?
Disneyland Vacation Planner
With Summer quickly approaching, many families are now making their vacation plans. Well, if you’re thinking about taking the crew to Disneyland (or any other amusement park) this year, I would like to offer a FREE, customizable resource that you might find helpful. In preparation of our trip last year to celebrate Harrison’s 3rd birthday, I created a handy-dandy Disneyland Trip Planner.
Live a Life of Exposure Therapy
Everyone has a phobia, and most of us have quite a few. I hate to break it to you, but even Chuck Norris is afraid of something. When we come face to face with our fears, our response can be anywhere from mild discomfort to all-out panic. But what would happen if we decided to take just one fear, and attempt to conquer it by intentionally exposing ourselves to it? Crazy? Maybe. But I’ll tell you from experience, the payoff can be huge.
Remembering Mrs. Meadows
Last week, my high school English teacher passed away. Her name was Mrs. Janice Meadows, and she had a very unique and tremendous impact on me because she not only taught me how to write, she also instilled in me a deep desire to write well. I couldn’t let her passing slip by without giving her due credit for the role she played in my love for writing.
3 Reasons You Should Hand-pick Your Child’s Teacher
When I was a kid, teachers were selected for students at random and class rosters were posted on the glass doors of the lobby two weeks before the first day of school. We were at the mercy of the invisible gods of elementary school. Some years, the gods would look on you with favor and you would get someone like Mrs. Olson, and in other years the gods were vengeful and placed you with Mrs. Rushton. The idea of my parents (or anyone else’s) going to the administration and requesting a particular teacher was unheard of.
