As the debate continues over how much screen time kids should be exposed to, many parents in Silicon Valley have taken an extreme position. Not only have they forbade their children any screen time, but they also restrict their children’s nannies. … [Read more...]
Keep the End in Mind
If I were to summarize the best parenting strategy my husband and I committed to it would be this: keep the end in mind. One day — way sooner than you think, your children will grow up. They will move away, build their own careers and families. When you break everything down to the most important qualities you want for your children when they become adults, what stands out as the most critical? I wanted my kids to become independent, fulfilled, productive, … [Read more...]
Challenge the Norm
When did elementary and middle school promotions become such big events? We have parents arriving an hour or two early to get a good seat with balloons and flowers in hand. I’m not sure why or how these promotions became such a phenomenon. … [Read more...]
The Secret to Raising Independent Children
All that friendly advice starts the minute folks discover you’re expecting a baby. I’m more than two decades into this journey, and people still share opinions about how I should parent. “When you're pregnant, people feel like they can come up and give you unsolicited advice. When I was nine months pregnant, this one woman came up and she said, I have one word for you: epidural. And I was like, Oh my God, thanks. But we already picked a name.” ~Bonnie McFarlane … [Read more...]
Honor Failure
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill When we see success we admire its perfection. We applaud the magic of actors, athletes, writers, musicians, and others who make it all look so easy. But, here’s the deal. Very rarely does anyone succeed without boatloads of failure along the way. … [Read more...]
Embrace the Light
Recently, I had a friend tell me my son is absolutely wonderful. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a “humble brag” post. It is, instead, a reminder to me and you to embrace the light within our children. If we are to embrace the greatness in our kids, we first have to recognize it. … [Read more...]
What Do Kids Really Need?
The 2000s brought a strange phenomenon of children’s sports teams giving everyone a trophy, regardless of participation level or winning record. Criticism of this practice is widespread. We folks in the United States value hard work. Many of us believe all good things should be earned. … [Read more...]
What is this thing called play?
Brené Brown says, "If we want to live a Wholehearted life, we have to become intentional about cultivating rest and play, and we must work to let go of exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self-worth." It may surprise you to know that play is critical to success and happiness for both children and adults. Knowing how we adults need reminders to slow down and relax, I put together a short video where I dig a little deeper into the characteristics of … [Read more...]
Why Parents Must Let Go
The art of parenting is all about letting go. In the end, it's up to our children how their journey will play out. Sure, parents love, guide, encourage, teach, model, and serve a host of crucial roles. At the core, though, it's all about preparing children to become independent citizens in the world. As a parent, I spent years negotiating the art of preparing my children to leave me. … [Read more...]
How to Talk to Teachers
5 Strategies to Improve Communication With Teachers Communication is the foundation of successful relationships. Yet, I would guess that many parents have a story of miscommunication between them and their child’s teacher. As the pressure increases on teachers to do more with less, communication is more critical than ever. … [Read more...]