A student’s path to finding a career is too often a hazy trail with many switchbacks. Teens are often encouraged to follow their hearts and take interesting classes, which is true in some degree. But they are rarely challenged to look at the long-term costs of their training, their employability upon college graduation, or where [read more] …
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Allow the Stumble
Last weekend in an art workshop, I had a front-row seat watching the activities of a bonified helicopter parent. On jet fuel. If you’ve read this newsletter for any time at all you know that my childrearing style is closer to boot camp than a luxury spa, but I am always fascinated to watch the [read more] …
Is Depression Lurking?
The world is a tough place these days. Uncertainty, incivility, loss, injury, illness, and alienation can conspire together to take us or our loved ones to a dark place. We can get so overwhelmed that we often do not know what steps to take. If you begin to suspect that depression might be lurking in [read more] …
Do Something Your Friends Don’t
The first question most students ask me is how to make themselves stand out from the thousands of other kids who are applying to college. The answer is fairly simple. Do something your friends don’t. It is that easy and that difficult. Instead of participating in something your friend would, do something an adult would [read more] …
Do They Have the Tools Needed?
After spending a couple of weeks in an intense fixer upper mode which required the use of multiple tools (belt sander, biscuit cutter, drill, palm sander, and cabinet clamps to name a few), I’ve been thinking about tools and how they impact our lives. There are physical tools that we hold in our hands and [read more] …
Embracing Summer Solitude
Part of the beauty of summer is the extra room to breathe. It is a time to enjoy picnics and watch the fireflies at night. It is a rare chance to read that book that has been calling your name, the opportunity to try that new art project, the mental capacity to think about the [read more] …
Are Your Kids in a Rut?
It is so easy to fall into a routine that functions on autopilot. I catch myself doing it all the time. I default into the habit and my brain turns off. Now, good habits are golden and something we want to encourage for our kids as well as ourselves, but functioning solely through habit can [read more] …