Well, this week, I learned… When I put together an oak full-size/twin bunkbed, I should find some other place for my son to be. I love my son, but it was a chore to put the bed together, while he ran (and climbed) around. He had a knack of taking off with the bolts just when I needed them. And, …

I am here in my office, trying to come up with a topic to write about today and I hear, “D..a..d..a, D..a..d..a, D..A..d..a, D..A..D..a, D…A…D…A…” I walk out of my office to find my son sitting at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at me, with a huge smile. I am left with no choice–he is so darn cute–but …

Well here we are another week…and this is what I’ve learned. Well, I’ve learned a few things. My son has discovered a new love: Walking with Dinosaurs. On a good note, this show has 6 episodes, 29 minutes long–on a 3-hour loop (if I am lucky that is). I am learning the dinosaurs names: Diplodocus (long neck plant eater), Allosaurus ( …

I want to take some time today to ask where some people get lost in what is important about education and sports. Plato said, “A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.” I am sure you all have heard about Rutgers and their head basketball coach. If you hadn’t, Rutgers fired basketball coach Mike Rice on Wednesday after …

“How pleasant it is for a father to sit at his child’s board. It is like an aged man reclining under the shadow of an oak which he has planted.” Voltaire

Well Easter is over, and I am left wondering. As I watch my son look for the now-empty (and re-hidden) Easter eggs, the thought crosses mind: how do I deal with faith in my son’s life? I was raised in the Catholic faith, but lost my faith years ago. Dealing with what is out there in life (the evil, greed …

Work, bills and sometimes just the hard times that life brings can leave us frustrated. When we are like this, rest is something we really need. Of course, my son is like me: he doesn’t need 8 hours of sleep most nights. And, it can be challenging. So: wakeful nights, tiredness and the pressure.  And, what do you do with the …

Have you made parenting rules that you’ve also broken?   Heck, the list of rules I made has been a paper weight on my desk for about 1 3/4 years of my son’s 2 years of life. No tv rule No crappy food We have all had them. And, we resolve not to break parenting rules. In my (former) academic life, theory ruled. Everything looks …

Do you ever catch yourself paying more attention to negative feedback, than positive? When you do receive positive feedback, do you find yourself looking past that and on to what you think needs improvement? There are ways for us as to combat this way of acting and thinking. According to neuroscientists, our brains are hardwired to focus more on the negative, including worry, disapproval, …

“We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future.”  – President Franklin D. Roosevelt