Hike Jones Run Falls at Shenandoah National Park.


11



Have them practice making trade offs based on their financial priorities. For example: Pedicure or movie?


9



Pray for the courage to be yourself.


10, 13, 15, 17, 21



Read “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” by Dr. Marc Weissbluth


Infant



Sometimes you have to put aside how you feel about a person and objectively look at how their actions show how they feel about *you.*


16



An album is like a book, meant to be taken as a whole. It tells a story, has its own vibe. Let’s listen to an album together every week.


12



Before a play date or sleepover ask the parent “Are there any unlocked guns in the house?”


6-9



When disciplining remember: First acknowledge the emotion, then address the behavior.


2-4, 13, 15



1

"Love is nothing more and nothing less than relentlessly showing up for your people." - Glennon Doyle


18-21



A useful opening line in a conversation (personal, parenting or professional) is “What should I know about ...”. It shows you understand you have something to learn, and it makes people feel valued. “What should I know about what’s going on at football practice?”


14



Read Harry Potter series to him / with him.


9-10



Look up crowd cow for meat delivery.


10



Just because someone is an a-hole it doesn’t mean they’re wrong.


17, 21



Soap and water go a long way towards fixing many problems.


12, 19



Great article on making math fun: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/how-to-get-reluctant-children-to-embrace-math/2014/03/04/4be99e46-959d-11e3-8461-8a24c7bf0653_story.html


6



You don’t have to lower your standards, just lower your walls.


12, 15, 21



Rain, snow or sleet...Always return the shopping cart to the proper spot in the parking lot.


17



Rudeness is a weak person’s imitation of strength.


13, 21



Practice “going without.” Talk about how nobody gets what they want all the time. We should learn how to just choose to go without something we want. Get them in on the discussion and pick something every day to do without.


5-9



Birds of a feather flock together


14



Have a charity lemonade stand. Pediatric cancer research, immigrant children, etc. Lots of problems...Let them be involved in part of the solution.


7-10



Caps Game this year.


11



You were THREE years old when you caught sight of a half-dressed beautiful woman. You didn’t have much of a vocabulary yet but when your eyes got wide and you said “BAM BAM” I knew exactly what you meant. (Woman was Jessica Biel in an Adam Sandler movie.)


14, 21



Read "You Can’t buy a Dinosaur with a Dime" by Harriet Ziefert. Teaches kids about earning money through work, making choices, even paying taxes!


9



If you’re waiting on someone to change for the relationship to work, it’s not gonna work. Love ‘em or leave ‘em. But forget trying to change them. (Same works in reverse. If someone wants you to change something about yourself before they commit, don’t walk away…RUN!)


14, 18, 21



Conflict resolution tip: Are we talking about how we got here, or how we get out of here? Because those are two entirely different conversations.


14, 16, 20



You may end up being a big shot, Good for you! But check yourself. The good lord wasn't above washing his friends' dirty feet so please don't feel like you're above any task that needs to be done. Enjoy your success but stay humble.


20



Spend 20 minutes a day watching a show you like in Spanish (or whatever your target language is) with reactionary subtitles. You’ll pick it up in no time!


13, 16, 19



Prayer for Teen Years ___ Please God, let them make good choices and get through these teen years with pride and not regret. ___ When they make mistakes (‘cause we both know they will) ____help me keep things in perspective, forgive easily _____and pour love into them again and again.


13, 14