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What are you waiting for? It feels like we are waiting for a lot these days. Yet maybe “waiting” isn’t the right term. Maybe we aren’t waiting for the weekend or for the next paycheck or for summer. Maybe we are looking at it the wrong way.  What if instead of waiting, we are living? There are still things going on as we wait for something. When we wait with kids, we try to get them to notice the moment—to sing a song, play a game, be active. Sometimes we …

When children are young, we teach by showing. We show them what money looks like when we count it. We take more abstract concepts, like addition and subtraction, and physically show them how it looks to add one apple to a group of three or subtract two blocks from a group of five. Basic counting eventually turns into algebra, trigonometry, or calculus. So, too, goes the teaching of social skills or positive character traits like being kind to others. We start simply by showing them, a …

The feeling of accomplishment is something most people cherish. You did it! You got all the laundry put away! You organized your office! You worked out! You slept eight hours last night! You feel great! And, then, somehow it fades away. You have more laundry to wash and put away. Your office looks cluttered and you can’t find that paper you need. You’ve gone days in a row without exercising. You stayed up too late last night and you’re tired. What happened? Why didn’t the feeling of accomplis …

This summer my family enjoyed watching the Women’s World Cup. As the games went on, more and more questions came from my son. One stood out. “Dad, what’s a yellow card?” I was able to explain to him that a player is given a yellow card when they do something that is not allowed (push someone, trip someone, etc.). I told him it’s kind of like cheating to help your team win. What a great opportunity to talk about sportsmanship, and how it’s more important than winning. Soon after that, …