Parenting
What You Can Do to Enable Kids to Grow Up
1shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn After a lively debate with a student group about the essence of healthy leadership, one student approached me with an indifferent attitude toward preparing to be a leader. When the subject came up of how slowly kids are maturing today, this male student said to me: “What’s the big…
Continue ReadingPositive Discipline: Three Practical Strategies Parents Can Use
15shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I’m hearing more and more stories lately of teenagers filing lawsuits against parents. It’s quite disconcerting to me. In the wake of decades of expanding children’s rights, kids are now using terms with adults like: You can’t do that to me. I have rights to my privacy. This is…
Continue ReadingWhen Positive Words Negatively Affect Students
35shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I’ve watched the influence of the words of leaders, teachers and parents for years now. Far too often, when we speak we’re only thinking about how we feel at the moment or what we’re thinking in that moment—not how those words will affect our kids. It isn’t until later…
Continue ReadingHow to Manage Impulsive Reactions
6shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn When I asked student athletes recently what the number one change was that they’d like to make in their life—their response surprised me. Very insightfully, most of them agreed: “I need to be less impulsive in my decisions.” We live in a day where everything seems to be moving…
Continue ReadingBuilding Resilient Students: How to Get Out of Your Own Way
10shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Eight years ago, researchers began to discover that children today acquire more allergies than children in past generations. For instance, no one had any idea why “peanut allergies” are surging in our day and age, since so many parents and schools are protecting kids from such exposure to peanuts.…
Continue ReadingWhen Achievement Becomes an Unhealthy Pursuit
15shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I’ve committed my life to building student leaders—young people who are almost always ambitious and high achieving. The last two generations have grown up as students who are predisposed to believe they can and will change the world. But I’ve seen some kids cross a line when it comes…
Continue ReadingHow to Decrease Entitlement: Combine Rights and Responsibilities
13shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn About a month ago, we posted an article on this blog page about how empowered today’s students are—possessing the ability to post content without the need to go through any authorities; to learn information without the need of an accompanying teacher or parent. You get the idea. One insightful…
Continue ReadingFour Parenting Strategies for Leading Generation Z
19shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I recently listened to a school administrator speak to parents, before I walked on stage to do a presentation to those same parents on the most common mistakes we make as we lead our kids today. That administrator attempted to encourage parents by saying: No student will be permitted…
Continue ReadingHow to Enjoy Watching Your Teens Play Sports
24shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I recently saw this sign (below) hanging near a youth sports field, just north of Atlanta, where I live. It made me smile and it had several people snapping photos of it prior to game time. Everyone was smirking, smiling or chuckling. The sign says so much about the…
Continue ReadingThe Fine Line Between Excellence and Obsession
8shares Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn I recently met a family on a road trip who epitomizes today’s society. Their three children are the center of their lives. They spend most of their money to resource those children. Both screens and sports occupy the majority of their time. Because they have some discretionary income, they…
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