Empathy does not equal enabling

I got some pushback on Tuesday’s post about we the people needing more empathy. Let me muddy the waters a little. You can have empathy for a person’s situation without letting them do whatever they want. You can—often—help a person who is struggling without enabling bad choices. An example: You give your kid an objectively … Read more

Kids aren’t good at technology

In the last two years and change, Rocket Kid did a fair amount of schooling online, including a full quarter in an online self-guided program. Fortunately, the work was rarely a problem—he typically understood and could complete assignments. How to navigate on the computer? That’s another matter. Much like his course work, I could show … Read more

What should kids be reading in their free time?

photo of a child reading a book on the couch, taken from directly overhead. Dog in a sweatshirt is sharing the couch

The short answer: pretty much anything. Parents can and should monitor content but not the delivery system. Your kid likes to read novels? Great! Graphic novels? Great! Magazines? Great! Encyclopedias? Great! Audiobooks? Great!  I don’t think it matters. It’s critically important for babies and young children to be read to. While I haven’t been good … Read more

Creating a culture of validation

Validation is a beautiful thing on any day, especially valuable on a rough day or in a rough season. Anyone not having a rough season? We often think about this in the context of an argument or disagreement where we would like our points validated, but it’s applicable to many circumstances. • You belong here. … Read more

Riffing on the concept of ‘real’

In a podcasting workshop I took, the half-joke was that you’re not a real podcaster until you forget to hit record. I half-joke with my guests that I hope never to be a real podcaster. For the past few weeks, I’ve been trail running for the first time. (Typically, I’ve saved running for smoother surfaces … Read more

Tolerance, validity, vulnerability

If everyone taught their kids at least to be tolerant of people who are different, it would help. Tolerance is better than intolerance, but would you want to spend your life tolerated? It’s a better-than-nothing space, not an end goal. If everyone taught their kids that their own emotions are valid and how to name … Read more