At the start of a day / project / interview / date / etc. Do this one simple thing: State your intention. How do you want to carry yourself? What is the goal for the outcome? Just take a moment to imagine how you want to behave, react, appear, etc. What impression do you want to leave with the people you interact with? Of those things that are in your control, what outcome would make you proud?


15, 20



My ballet teacher used to punish us by making us sit on the floor and hold our arms up. It hurts! But you learn how to sit with pain. You learn how to endure and how to use your mind to make your muscles really don’t want to do.


14, 20



Read Big Magic by Liz Gilbert. Re-read every 5-10 years.


19, 21



Piano


21



Brambly Hedge series by Jill Barklem.


2-5



I promise I will never snoop. No matter how curious I am, I will not violate your privacy. But if I ever think you may be in danger I will break any promise and any law I have to in order to keep you safe.


10, 12, 14, 15



Give them marshmallows to suck on when they get a sore throat. Takes away the pain!


3,4,5,6



My mom used to say that one thing her mom taught her was no matter how poor they were they always had a clean house. She made sure of it.


18



The problems with pornography: When you’re young and have yet formed a basis for healthy and mutually satisfying sexual relationships, your brain doesn’t know what to do with that input. It becomes part of your brain, imprinted as normal or the way sex should be. When you’re older, the brain can see something that’s outrageous and recognize it and discard it. Also it’s incredibly misogynistic, will do horrible things for the way you see women. While some is fairly harmless and totally normal, even too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Too much of a bad thing is disastrous.


11, 12, 13, 14, 15



Teach them about shaken baby syndrome.


13



Teach them how to eat a chicken wing in one bite


12



Read blog post from Parent's Corner: The Letter Your Teenager Can't Write You By Gretchen Schmelzer June 23, 2015


13-17



Anyone who asks you to violate your values doesn’t deserve your allegiance.


16, 21



Action is the antidote to anxiety.


12, 14, 17, 21



Keep a pair of nail clippers in the car - much better lighting outside. Clipping tiny fingernails is terrifying!


Infant-1



1

When the child is feeling upset or out of control, that is not the time to teach a lesson. Share your calm, be a safe place for them. When they’re feeling better, THEN teach the lesson.


1, 2, 3, 4



End of August by Robert Frost is one of my favorite poems.


20



Stuff will happen and you’ll think “I can’t get through this. I can’t go on.” In the moment it really feels that way. But ...You will survive. You’ll find a way. Never give up on yourself. I never will.


17



Check into Brilliant.org for STEM activities.


12



Read “Raising a Screen Smart Kid” by Julianna Miner before you consider giving him a phone.


10



Read Harry Potter series to him / with him.


9-10



Have somebody take him skiing. I never learned to ski but I hope he learns to ski or snowboard.


6-11



Ladies, don’t waste a moment of your precious time trying to get a man’s attention. If he’s interested he will love heaven and earth to get YOUR attention. Save your energy for joy and work and learning and doing whatever floats your boat! Let him be the one to twist himself in knots.


15, 18, 20



The version of you that will handle whatever problem comes your way will be born into existence in the moment when it happens. Trust your future self to handle future challenges.


12, 15, 21



“A recipe for being mistaken: 1. Dislike someone who's often right. 2. Never agree with someone you dislike.” ——- Paul Graham


16



Ask the question “What are you doing when you feel most like yourself?”


16



Turn off main water line when you leave on vacation.


21



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


6-9



Anger is the bodyguard of sadness.


12-15, 21