500 Fridays Newsletter - 2 min read Season: The Cold Days (11 of 12) A "Figure It Out" Family Our kids heard me say it in our home more times than I can count…. you go figure it out. It was used less when they were little, but with each year they grew older, they heard it more and more. I know they grew tired of it, and I'm certain I said it with the wrong tone many, many times. That doesn't mean it wasn't one of the most important and staple phrases in our family, though. Have you ever...
8 days ago • 3 min read
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2 min read Season: The Cold Days (10 of 12) If there's one emotion that parents don't need more of while in their power-decade season, it's shame. The feeling of pain or guilt that emerges when mom or dad realizes their family isn't measuring up. I felt it on many occasions and I reckon you have too. I remember taking my kids to the entrance of certain rides at Disney when they were little. We walked up to the board only to discover they were a few inches short of the...
15 days ago • 2 min read
500 Fridays Newsletter - 3 min read Season: The Cold Days (9 of 12) The Cartwheel Story Today, it is a rare sight to see a mom shopping with all of her kids hanging off the grocery cart. It doesn't happen as often today as it used to thanks to Walmart Grocery Pickup. Now, moms have been taking their kids to buy groceries forever, but some shopping sessions truly stand out. We have a family story from when our kids were 3, 6, and 7 that took the prize for us. A little background on the kinds...
22 days ago • 3 min read
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2.5 min read Season: The Cold Days (8 of 12) Marriage Titles My wife and I have held several different titles in our marriage during our 20+ years together as a family. 👩🏻❤️👨🏻 First we were Husband & Wife.👶🏼 Next was our turn as Mom & Dad.🧽 For a long stretch we were Butler & Maid.🥶 We've spent some time as Friends & Enemies.📣 Recently it's been more Cheerleader & Uber Driver.👩🏻❤️👨🏻 Now we are back to a new-old stage of Husband & Wife again. As the years go by though,...
29 days ago • 2 min read
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2.5 min read Season: The Cold Days (7 of 12) Parents Understand Tough Love A while back, a viral video from TikTok made its way to my FYP (my kids tell me that means For You Page) and it stopped me cold. It was of a first-time mother horse and her foal. I had no idea how powerful and deep her maternal instincts were and it was the perfect example of how parents understand tough love. In the video, the mother is gently pushing her young foal toward the electric fence....
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2.5 min read Season: The Cold Days (6 of 12) Build The Connection The teenage season of parenting gets a ton of bad press. My wife and I were told several narratives by others that proved false in our family. After our power-decade season of parenting had wrapped up, we expected something different, but were surprised by the teenage years. They don't need you anymore...not true. They hardly ever open up and talk about their lives...false. They just want to be with...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
500 Fridays Newsletter - 3.5 min read Season: The Cold Days (5 of 12) Hot & Cold It has been a cold, snowy week in my part of the country. Translation: kids have been home from school and out of routine way too long. I've sent a lot of texts to my friends with kids in your 3-13 season, checking in on them. These cold and dark weeks turn hot with tension at home. The house is a wreck.The kids are bored & hungry.The work responsibilities are delayed.The parental patience is at an all-time low....
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2.5 min read Season: The Cold Days (4 of 12) Family Controversy In our family, girls are allowed to get their ears pierced at age 12 and not a moment sooner. Are we crazy? Possibly.Are we an outlier? Likely.Do we have a reason? Definitely. How much thought have you put into the appropriate age for a girl to have her ears pierced? If your answer is not much, then you're in the majority. For most families, there is no thought at all, which is totally fine. I am sure...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
500 Fridays Newsletter - 2.5 min read Season: The Cold Days (3 of 12) The Proximity Problem On Christmas day this year, our family had a Clark Griswold moment. We enjoyed a bit of nostalgia when I grabbed the old video camera and watched some early-stage home movies. The big kids were 2 & 3 years old. Everyone in the living room smiled, ooed, and laughed as we re-watched the chaos of our young family. When kids are little, life is full of piles: toys, clothes, and bodies too. Wrestling on the...
2 months ago • 2 min read