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The time between all or nothing
As in all areas of life, there are two extremes to following a routine: All, or nothing. Most people naturally gravitate towards one of…
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Good for Nothing Kids
For a child, doing nothing is often much more valuable than doing something. They learn to entertain themselves, to find joy in simplicity, to problem solve, to be content.
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Testing Comes Before Learning
Hey folks, Jenny here (Hal’s my husband). As I’ve started a new school year (I teach 12th grade English), I’ve been reflecting on my daughter’s journey through school.
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Did you do your chores?
It’s officially summer where I live, and that means millions of Atlanta parents are preparing for battle. Some are jumping right in, hoping to get it right, right from the start (for these folks, there’s only one right way to do this). Some other parents are somehow on the opposite side of the spectrum, taking a laid-back approach this year, hoping that another year of life under their kids’ belts will somehow make those kids spontaneously feed the dog, take the garbage to the curb, and put away their folded laundry (somehow I doubt this will happen).
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Your Home is a Think Tank
I am a bit surprised when I hear parents say they aren’t interested in teaching their children to think for themselves. Their line of thinking goes something like this: “Children can’t be trusted to make good choices, so I can’t give them the option of choice. I have to tell them what to do so that I can make sure that they do the right things.”
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On this Bus…
On this Bus… It was on a bus that my family was introduced first-hand to bullying. My son, riding home with a friend, was the target because of his red hair. I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that when I found out my son was punched in the face […]
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Staying Sane During Summer Break
Question: What is a six letter word that brings joy to teachers and strikes fear in the hearts of many parents? Answer: Summer! While many parents, myself included, are excited about the lazy days of summer, they also understand that too much of a good thing can be, well, too much. The initial excitement about […]
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Avoiding the Chore Wars
Ah…summertime. The living is easy. The fish are jumping. The cotton is high. And your house is a disaster! With kids out of school and laying around the house all day, how in the world are you supposed to be able to keep it livable in there? It’s time to get serious about chores. Chores […]
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What’s Your One Thing?
When your romantic relationship is right, every other problem in life feels a lot less difficult. You feel stronger, more capable of handling whatever life throws at you; there lies waiting for you in your romance a respite from the storms, a refuge from the chaos, and a resource for handling almost anything. When […]
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Holiday Survival Guide Part II
By Hal Runkel Originally published October 9, 2009 Now that you have read Part I and you’ve sucessfully regained your calm, you can put the following structures in place to create the kind of holiday you’ll be happy to remember. 1. Slow Down We learned this one from our daughter Hannah when she was about […]