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Parenting Digital Kids
Life Beyond the Screens If you ask most teens what item is their most prized, important possession, they will say it’s their smartphone. In fact, I’ve heard teens say that if they could only take one...
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High-Tech Tools in Schools
Too Much Tech at School? Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a popular trend sweeping schools this year. Schools with BYOD policies will be asking students to bring an Internet-Connected Mobile Device...
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Weak Language
We often chastise young people for using “strong language,” but there is an equal or greater problem with kids, especially girls, who use weak language. Consider the use of the following “words”...
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Embracing Parenting
Here is a sample from my latest project. It’s a chapter from my not-even-close-to-being-finished book. Feel free to give me some feedback. Be the Parent I believe that there is neither “The Way” nor...
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New Book: Growing Up Well in the 21st Century
Coming Soon: Fall 2013 Growing Up Well in the 21st Century: Raising Today’s Middle School Children Middle school is a time in life when many parents adopt a hands-off parenting style. They shake their...
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Pep Talk for Teachers and Students
Thanks, Soul Pancake and Kid President for another share-worthy video. Filed under: Adolescence, Education, Guidance, Middle School, Social Development, Teaching Tagged: Education, Significance, Teacher
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Middle School Sports – The Good Stuff
Filed under: Adolescence, Athletics, Boys, Compassion, Disabilities, Middle School, Social Development, Special Needs Tagged: Adolescence, Encouraging, Growing Up, Maturing, Middle School,...
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Connect With Your Young Teen
First Connect, Then Guide The best parents are the ones who are deeply connected with their children and offer support and guidance all along the path of life. They’re the ones who care enough to say,...
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The Story of the Book
Everyone has at least one book in them. Critical Connection is mine. Ever since I was ten, I wanted to grow up and have a happy family. Since I was sixteen, I wanted a career in which I could help...
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Fun = Connection
Have Fun with Your Child ASAP Good parenting has an order of operations. Insides come first. A child should feel connected to his or her mom or dad in a profound way, first and foremost. Then, and only...
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What Kids Can Learn About Disabilities
My 7th grade students just finished the disability unit in English class. Every year I am amazed at how all the kids love to learn about disabilities. They are fascinated by it. I think part of that...
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How’s the book doing?
Since I released my first book five months ago, I am often asked, “How’s the book doing?” To which, I don’t have a snappy, confident answer. It’s similar to when people ask, “How’s your daughter?” or...
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Educational Resources
Here are a few educational resources for children and young teens. Bookmark this page for use during the school year. Sometimes even the best of us need some help… Websites for Homework Sweet Search is...
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Take Your Kids Outdoors
Screens are ruling teens; kids spend well over forty hours per week in front of electronic screens, but less than forty minutes per week in nature. Delayed Gratification A major component of growing up...
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Conversation: Parenting Young Teens
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Ken Van Meter on KFAX, a Christian radio station in San Francisco. We spoke for almost 40 minutes about parenting young teens. Our conversation ranged a...
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Perpetual Parenting
It’s likely that you are being a great parent even when you aren’t thinking about it. You may be doing a heck of a job of training your children without even trying to do so. Unaware, you can parent...
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Motivate. Don’t Manipulate Your Kids.
Once again, his room isn’t clean, not by any standard. Her backpack, jacket, and shoes are scattered about the floor of the hall, again. His grades are sub-par in math, again. She is making the family...
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The Distance Run
I coach middle school cross country, which is not a glamorous job, but it is uniquely rewarding. For young distance runners, the hardest part is embracing the pain that creates stronger legs and faster...
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Advice for Middle School Kids
Recently, I asked my Facebook friends to give me advice for my 7th graders. Here’s what my friends have learned in their 30 years of growing up since 7th grade. Be cool to everyone because there’s a...
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Parenting is Regulating
Every parent should regulate their children’s behavior until they are ready to regulate their own. It will likely be a 20-year process, which starts with full regulatory control of the infant and ends...
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