Lessons For My Kids

Presidents and generals must have some leadership skills for them to rise up the ranks. The mall in Washington D.C. has monuments to a few of the most revered and important leaders in U.S. history - Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. Few of us know much about Eisenhower, who also has a monument. Books and articles tell us about President and General Eisenhower's abilities to lead, take...

All of us are born with differences. We come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. We grow up in different families, communities, and countries. Being respectful of our differences may seem hard to do when watching the news. Yet by talking to each other, we may find similarities. Maybe we follow the same teams, have similar interests, or know someone. Being mean to others before we have met, or...

Politics today will affect our kids for their lifetimes. How do we talk with kids about politics, politicians, spin, as well as the various types of government. A couple of references for this episode are from faithfilledparenting.com and theschoolrun.com. Each of us has beliefs. Do your best to teach politics in an unbiased manner.

There is so much joy in the world. How do we find it? Where do we look? Well, we don't have to go far. In fact, we may want to take a seat where we are. If you are looking for ideas and ways to enjoy life, there are lots of lists and ideas online. A couple of them are "How to Enjoy Life In a Way Most People Don't" found on lifehack.org, or "30 Simple Ways to Enjoy Life" on lifeoptimizer.org. Both...

In the age of Covid-19/Coronavirus, many people were forced out of offices and schools. Business and learning had to continue. This episode is focused on how to work or learn from home. It's not easy for everyone, so I used a list from "8 habits of super-productive people who work from home" found on theladders.com. Many of the suggestions can be used by employees or students, with a slight variat...

Most of us make mistakes with money. We overpay for a product, we waste money on a night out, etc. How can we help teach kids from our mistakes and understand the importance to save money. The topic of money can go off in a lot of directions, and it may feel like your head is spinning a bit after listening to this segment. There are countless websites, articles, advice columnists, pundits, books,...

Do you ever just sit and think? What do you think about? Why is thinking necessary? Who should spend time thinking? Hopefully you don't believe everything you hear or read without taking some time to think. For kids, and adults alike, it's important for us to exercise our minds. Learning how to do so at an early age will have huge benefits later on in life. WeAreTeachers.com and Ideas. TED.com off...

Some people have internal "drive" they use to find success. Some people with less drive can still achieve milestones by using goals. For my kids, goals can be hard to come up with, plan for, or reach. This episode combines information from parents.com and howwelearn.com. Both sites offer some really good tips and advice on how adults can help kids create a plan. Start small, celebrate effort, make...

Is college worth the cost? The answer in most cases is yes. Of course, there are exceptions. A review of articles from EducationDive.com, SaintLeo.edu, and thoughtco.com share insights. The reasons for attending college come down to a few basic points: a college degree earns you more money over a lifetime, offers more opportunity, and no one can take away your education. If cost is a concern, and...

Do you send thank you notes to people who send you a gift or do something nice for you? Do you know how to act around people or in a fancy restaurant? These, among many others, are skills many teenagers don't learn early in life. This episode is based on an article called "Social and Work Etiquette for Teens" by Debby Mayne, and found on TheSpruce.com. A few of the most important etiquette skills,...

Do kids today know how to address a letter, or know where to put a stamp? Could a kid today sew on a button? These are some of the "40 Old-Fashioned Skills That Kids Need to Know". The list came from...well, I don't really remember. There are surely lists like this all over the internet. Some of the suggestions could be deemed as "old-fashioned" yet essential. Such things as how to hammer a nail,...

Religion and spirituality can be a tough topic to discuss. A lot of kids have no idea why they go to a building on Sunday's, but they are brought each week by their parents. There are lots of questions about what religion means, why friends don't all go to the same place, or why people celebrate some holidays but not others. This is just a tip of a long list of questions. I'm not an expert in reli...

Have you paid too much for something and then thought about how you could have saved money after the fact? Everyone has had buyer's remorse at some point. An article on instopedia.com called "The Psychology Behind Why People Buy Luxury Goods" was a light bulb moment. People tend to pay too much for some items because of perception, status, etc. What if you bought a handbag for $500? Wouldn't a han...

This episode focuses on the importance of voting. There were several articles used as reference, as there are a lot of opinions as to why people should vote. The overall sentiment was consistently...you have a voice and you should be heard. In democratic societies it's not only a right, but a responsibility for the electorate to vote. In the US, anyone citizen 18 years or older can vote, with a co...

Sports officials are hardly every given praise. They are not raised up on shoulders in victory, yet they are usually blamed for defeats. Today we touch on the reality of most sports outcomes are the direct effect of player performance and coaching decisions. "Stop Blaming the Refs" is a blog post on www.coachchriswoodside.com. Wrong calls can be made, as we are all human. Players and coaches make...

Gratitude. For kids to learn and adults to be reminded. This episode, we review "How to practice gratitude - 11 simple ideas" from TheGoalChaser.com. Little things changes, reminders, and actions can make a big difference in our lives. We all have set backs, negativity, and bad days. Showing gratitude can help alleviate or reduce any anxiety, thoughts, or fears associated. Seeing the "silver linin...

What's important to you? As kids, we had lots of dreams and goals, but may have needed some help with determining what is truly important. As adults our priorities may focus on family, work, wealth, etc. The story from Dr. Covey about Big Rocks is a good visualization of how we prioritize what is important. There are a number of sites where you can print out the story. Listen to it here, and let i...

I had the good fortune to work with a well-respected, thoughtful, and smart man. He puts his family first, has dealt with set backs, mentored many, and learned what's important. He decided to take a new job, which was a great move for him. Before he left, he sent an email to many of the people he worked closely with during his many years of service. The message was his top 10 life lessons. He grac...

Families spending time together can create lasting memories. My dad used to take me to baseball games. Every summer we would see a couple of MLB games. While we may not remember the teams who came to town, it was the joined experience we don't forget. For my kids, I took them to college football games. This episode is loosely framed by a blog post, "The Secret to Making Memories: Stop Trying to Ma...

When we are young, our focus is on people doing things for us. As we grow up we learn it's nice to do things for others. Today we go over a couple of different articles with the same focus...acts of kindness kids can do. VeryWellFamily.com had an article "7 Random Acts of Kindness for Kids", and Highlights.com had "25 Totally Cool Random Acts of Kindness Your Kids Will Love". Both had similar sugg...

If you are forced to work from home, or attend school online, there are tips to make you most effective. "7 Effective Ways to Work From Home During the Coronavirus Outbreak" was written by Lexie Sachs from the Good Housekeeping Institute. It's easy to slip into bad habits, or feel like you have to be online 24/7. The reality is, no one expects you to be at work or school every minute of every day....

A story about balloons and finding happiness was seen on a Facebook post, which I believe came from an original post on Medium.com. It's about 500 people looking for a balloon they wrote their name on while in a room full of balloons. The analogy the writer was trying to get across is happiness is difficult to find alone. The story was quick, which also kept this episode short. Think about your ow...

Do you see yourself as a positive person? Do you wake up thinking how wonderful the day is going to be? If not, this episode is a reflection there are good things in our lives, sometimes we just need to be reminded. To become positive requires work each day. As you practice positivity, it will get easier and less of a chore. The idea for this episode came from an article titled "21 Ways To Think P...

Life is full of highs and lows. There are days when the world feels upon our shoulders. These are the times we need to remember to breathe and take care of ourselves. There are a lot of articles, suggestion lists, and self-help gurus offering help. In this episode I referred to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America. They have a list of tips to cope with anxiety and depression. I've read...

What makes a good leader? You surely know someone who walks into a room, and has a sense of commanding attention. For my kids, you will meet people (teachers, coaches, co-workers, and teammates) who you feel make you better at sports, school, or work. These people are leaders. There are certain qualities these people have, and traits you can learn to become leaders. From Inc Magazine, I found "The...