Never open someone else's mail, or listen to their conversation, etc. If it's not your business to know, don't snoop.


14-21



In professional setting: Limit one exclamation point per email, if any. Definitely no emoticons.


19



Guard your health and fitness as if it were your most valuable possession. (It is.)


14, 17, 21



Teach them about the law and how it applies to them: Here's what happens if you hurt someone, steal, drive drunk, use or sell drugs, sexting, etc.


12



Ask”How can I be a better parent to you?” Listen.


1Infant-18



Practice road-rage roll playing. People are NUTS! It's hard to imagine how you'll react when someone gets aggressive with you. Let's practice staying calm when someone is shouting and in your face.


15-17



Make a deal: flying lessons IF he takes dancing lessons. A man has got to know how to dance! In fact, tack on some other prerequisites like good grades and responsible behavior


16



Watch TED talk on Rejection Therapy: “What I learned from 100 days of rejection | Jia Jiang”


15, 21



Share Brene Brown's short video on Empathy vs. Sympathy: Be the bear, not the goat. Fantastic 3 minute video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw&feature=youtu.be


12, 14, 18, 21



Book “8 Candles and a Tree” about celebrating interfaith holidays.


7



“Your life unfolds in proportion to your courage.” -Danielle Le Port


15, 18



Be a good guest. Never arrive to a dinner or a party empty handed. Bring a gift: flowers, food, drink, etc.


18



Send thank you acknowledgemnt for gifts received


1-21



1

Your brain seeks novelty. Try new things as long as you live. Take risks (but not safety risks!)


20



Make a pound of ground beef go further by adding chopped cabbage or mushrooms.


19



I love that you got chills from watching Wicked. You were 10 and already affected emotionally and physically by music. Bonus points for listening to and acknowledging how your body talks to you.


13, 19, 21



Set up a 529 plan. Virginia has a great plan if you don't want to do too much research https://www.savingforcollege.com/


birth-age 3



There are always blessings hidden within heartbreak: a friend you would never have met otherwise, an opportunity that would never have come up, an experience, an encounter, a promotion, etc. Always look for the blessings.


9, 11, 18, 21



Just for the record, I didn’t vote for Trump. I want my great-grandchildren to know that.


18



Super good-looking people often don’t develop good people skills because they’ve been able to get by on their looks. Listen! Beauty fades. Get curious about people who don’t necessarily catch your eye right away.


16, 19, 21



I’m going to start you in Mathnasium or some other STEM (math) activity. Not because I want u to score high on your SAT but because I want You to be confident in your math skills you will use it every day and it will come in handy no matter what you choose to do for a living


7



“Tell me the story of your day.” (Works better than “how was your day?”


5, 6, 10



If you’ve never dressed a newborn before, an easy way to get the hang of it is to lay the outfit flat on the bed and then place the baby on top of it. Tuck her little arms and legs inside one at a time, then zip or snap them in. Done!


Infant



Toddler years: Tater tots make everything better. The smaller ones cook faster and you don't have to turn them.


2



Quoting Sarah Bessel: “One of the best things Jen Hatmaker has taught me about raising big kids: if they get on the roller coaster of Big Emotions, my main first job is to stay on the platform. I am NOT to get in the car and ride up


12



Look into Space Camp for next year


8



Practice staying calm under pressure. The pop-up game “Perfection” is a fun way.


10, 12, 15, 17, 21



Use timers to motivate and structure. "Better have your jammies on and teeth brushed by the time the timer goes off!" Using a simple timer helps things not drag on and on.


2-5



Look into going to college abroad. Research international universities. Spain, Netherlands, etc.


15, 16



Find an activity / sport that they enjoy and support it. Get them outside and in the fresh air.


6-16