Now that the holiday season is officially upon us, it's appropriate to step back and gain some perspective. If there's one quality we would all do well to demonstrate during the next five weeks, it would be contentment. As fathers, we can set the tone for our families and help make the holidays truly rewarding and meaningful instead of being hectic and difficult. Will your family demonstrate contentment during the next month?
Of all the things that we need to teach our children, communication skills are among the most important. If you think about the various children you interact with – and adults for that matter – don't you think more highly of the ones who look you in the eye and speak to you clearly? Strong communicators are much more confident, and self-confidence is the engine that propels the healthy development of our kids. It stands to reason that children who have learned to effectively articulate their thoughts and desires will have better odds for happiness and success in their adult lives. Healthy relationships, academic achievement and career advancement are contingent on the ability to communicate well.
Hollywood celebrity Matthew McConaughey recently made the following comment about his 14-month-old son, Levi: "He’s getting bigger, more fun, smarter and craftier by the day." Toddlers are great at keeping their dads very busy, and their growing craftiness can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a cause for concern because they can disappear very quickly, sometimes into very unsafe environments. Have you had that experience?
Let's start with some indisputable facts. Halloween has some nasty roots. The Druids were the original demonic necromancers. Every October 31, on the eve of their new year, the Druids led the ancient Celtics in a rousing tribute to Samhain, the Lord of the Dead. Their form of trick-or-treating literally opened the door to the occult and other hellish, ghoulish and deadly forces.
The brutal murder of a 16-year-old boy in Chicago several weeks ago has brought youth violence to the headlines once again. Many leaders agree that this latest example is one more wake-up call for our nation to take action to combat some alarming trends, but in all of the talk, there are few viable solutions recommended.
A Dad’s Point-Of-View
One of the clichés about volunteerism is that "you get more than you give." In my case, it was true in ways and means I least expected. I’ve just become a Big Brother, again, to a 7-year-old boy and a mentor to a 23-year-old young man. As these relationships are new, I don’t yet know what lessons I will learn. But I know well the lessons I learned the first time around.
Do you fully appreciate the benefits your children's mother brings to their lives — and your life? It's no revelation that women are different from men in many ways. Often, those differences can be sources of conflict, and those differences involve much more than where one squeezes the toothpaste. Having children really brings these differences to the surface, whether it's how you approach discipline, household tasks for the kids, or your time commitment to work and family.
Do you ever feel lost as a father? Does it seem like your idea of what should be happening … isn't? Maybe the path your child is taking or the level of success he is achieving doesn't quite match up with your timeline?
Although divorced dads may identify with this most easily, every dad faces relationship barriers of some kind, and all dads can benefit from being reminded about a few simple truths.
Maybe you saw the funny and engaging replay of the father and daughter at the baseball game in Philadelphia a while back: Steve Monforto made a great catch on a foul ball, a dream he has had since he started attending Phillies games at three years old.
Where are you in your relationship with your father? Surely some of you reading today don't want to think about your dad because there's too much pain there. Maybe you're thinking, What good would it do? Others have a good relationship with dad, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.
If it feels like you don’t instinctively know how to care for your baby, that’s normal. Every new parent has to learn,
by Shane Barkley The Luxury Marketing Council of Florida says that luxury spending has seen an annual growth of 20-30%, where general retail spending has seen an increase of 5%. One Encarta Dictionary definition of luxury is "an item that is desirable but not...
As Christmas rapidly approaches, there's a lot to look forward to. Many of us remember holiday seasons growing up where the anticipation was almost unbearable, and all the food and lights and family traditions added to the sense of wonder. Every family is unique, but...
by Len Stauffenger The holidays are here. You love your kids, and you want to be with those little rascals. You want to share all the wonderful experiences that the holidays promise, but you're divorced—or you are getting a divorce—and you don't want to share them...
Car crashes are the number one cause of death today for teenagers (age 16-20). And several recent studies point to parents as a key factor in safety for teenage drivers. Teens who say their parents are actively involved in their lives are 70% less likely to drink and...
by Dale Sadler Have you seen the most recent movie version of A Christmas Carol? I’ve seen every form of this movie with its various actors, including Patrick Stewart, Scrooge McDuck, and Bill Murray, but this one is my favorite. Visually it was stunning with the 3-D...
In a recent Washington Post article, Patrick Welsh, a high-school English teacher in Virginia, wrote about some disturbing trends he sees in his classroom. Most of the kids at the Welsh's school are African American, and many of them are doing very poorly in his...
Now that the holiday season is officially upon us, it's appropriate to step back and gain some perspective. If there's one quality we would all do well to demonstrate during the next five weeks, it would be contentment. As fathers, we can set the tone for our families...
by Dan Brunell Of all the things that we need to teach our children, communication skills are among the most important. If you think about the various children you interact with – and adults for that matter – don't you think more highly of the ones who look you in the...
by Marjorie Wrenn Hollywood celebrity Matthew McConaughey recently made the following comment about his 14-month-old son, Levi: "He’s getting bigger, more fun, smarter and craftier by the day." Toddlers are great at keeping their dads very busy, and their growing...
by Jay Payleitner Let's start with some indisputable facts. Halloween has some nasty roots. The Druids were the original demonic necromancers. Every October 31, on the eve of their new year, the Druids led the ancient Celtics in a rousing tribute to Samhain, the Lord...
The brutal murder of a 16-year-old boy in Chicago several weeks ago has brought youth violence to the headlines once again. Many leaders agree that this latest example is one more wake-up call for our nation to take action to combat some alarming trends, but in all of...
A Dad’s Point-Of-View by Bruce Sallan One of the clichés about volunteerism is that "you get more than you give." In my case, it was true in ways and means I least expected. I’ve just become a Big Brother, again, to a 7-year-old boy and a mentor to a 23-year-old young...