Parenting

I’ve watched parents go crazy with enthusiasm when a kid does well.  I’ve also seen them go stone cold silent when things take a turn for the worse.  That silence speaks volumes into the heart of a child.  As a result, kids grow up desperately chasing applause, and that usually gets twisted into a fragile, warped sense of self-worth.

My boys (14 and 10) can confidently navigate self-checkout, withdraw cash from an ATM, pump gas, make phone calls with confidence, order groceries, manage an Excel budget, order an Uber, etc. because I refuse to send them into the workforce without basic skills."

"Their deaths have forever changed me and how I look at the world. In an odd way, it has made me a better parent."

"And as I turned back towards her I realized she was gasping in fear, hiccuping through a torrent of scared tears, her face red and wet."

"I accused them of happily draining the life out of me. I told them if I collapsed, they would probably just step over my lifeless body and keep going. One child stopped doing dishes and said, 'Wow, that is dark.' I had to chuckle inside."

"It serves as a warning—to children and to parents—of the very real dangers of online grooming."

"In the grand scheme of things, who they are and who they’re becoming is much more important and will have greater lasting effects than any extra-curricular success or making the 'A' honor roll ever will."

"I want to teach my sons that it’s okay to doubt God, have questions and not completely understand everything God does. God is big enough to handle our doubts, our questions, and our concerns."