Career Advice for Teenagers – Part 2: Expecting Excellence

By uss_dad, on May 17th, 2011%

A key ingredient for success in the adult world is seeking out your own excellence and then pursuing it. It’s all about discovering something you are passionate about. It is no different with teenagers. They need to experiment in different areas and discover their own niches. A passion can start developing from the time a . . . → Read More: Career Advice for Teenagers – Part 2: Expecting Excellence

One comment   Communication, For Parents, Relationships, Teaching Kids, Teenagers

Career Advice for Teenagers – Part 1

By uss_dad, on May 16th, 2011%

When it comes to parents giving career advice to their teenage children, timing is almost everything! How, when, what and where you deliver your advice are key elements in establishing good communication with your child. But a close second is the content itself, which we will discuss in the days ahead. Today, our focus is . . . → Read More: Career Advice for Teenagers – Part 1

One comment   Communication, For Parents, Relationships, Teaching Kids, Teenagers, Work Related

I Believe in You

By uss_dad, on March 23rd, 2011%

Apollo 13 Crew

It seems like they have been running the movie Apollo 13 fairly often of late and I happened to recall this one segment of dialog when Commander Jim Lovell’s mom is first told that her son’s spacecraft is having severe difficulties out in space by one of her grandchildren. Without hesitation, Blanche . . . → Read More: I Believe in You

11 comments   Children, Communication, For Parents, Teaching Kids, Teenagers

Banning The “D-word”

By uss_dad, on January 31st, 2011%

Linda and I agreed before we got married that neither of us would ever speak the “D-word” between us. We recognized early on that the “D-word” was worse than Iran or North Korea going nuclear in our relationship; it was akin to actually using one of those dreaded nuclear weapons on one another.

Before . . . → Read More: Banning The “D-word”

One comment   Anger, Arguments, Communication, Divorce, Emotions & Feelings, For Parents, Out of Bounds, Relationships

If You Love It, You Have To…..

By uss_dad, on January 26th, 2011%

If you say that you love it, you have to kiss it.

That was my motto around the dinner table as the grammar monitor for my family. I didn’t want that all-important word to somehow lose its significance.

That word love can be elusive though. When we say that we love something, just . . . → Read More: If You Love It, You Have To…..

Leave a comment   Children, Communication, For Parents

Being in the Captain’s Seat

By uss_dad, on January 26th, 2011%

Everyone wants to live an exciting life full of adventure and purpose. These notions can really captivate kids once then get midway through grade school. We talked about these things frequently during our family meetings in the context of setting goals and having a good work ethic.

One particular story that we told to . . . → Read More: Being in the Captain’s Seat

Leave a comment   Communication, Faith, For Parents

How to Kick a Football

By uss_dad, on January 25th, 2011%

When I was in grade school, my dad was about 6-foot 3-inches tall and weighed about 230 pounds. He was a towering person to me. Dad usually walked home from his business for lunch every day in our small Midwestern town. During the fall season, the neighborhood kids and I would frequently ambush him . . . → Read More: How to Kick a Football

One comment   Children, Communication, Discipline, Right from Wrong