I met Brittney (a pseudonym), an 18-year-old young girl, on the chairlift on May 31, 2011 at Mammoth Mountain. She wasn’t wearing a helmet and I gave her my usual helmet lecture (see “Parental Hypocrisy” column). She ended up sharing […]
My Son Got a Tattoo
The title of this column probably brings shivers to parents of toddlers and kids under the age of 12. Many parents do not like or appreciate tattoos or any so-called “Body Art.” I am one of them, plus it is […]
A Family Downsizing
No, I’m not referring to an economic downturn, though there are aspects of that to this story. This is about a family of seven that is becoming a family of four. One year ago our family consisted of my wife […]
Getting Adolescents to Turn the Page
Being able to read well is more important than ever for young adults seeking to achieve economic success. But more than 60 percent of middle and high school students score below “proficient” in reading achievement, according to a December […]
How to Rule Your Unruly Teenager
When they say, “What goes around, comes around,” they must have had me in mind. That’s because I gave my parents a certain degree of difficulty during my teen years. Now, I have double that trouble, since I have two […]
My Teen Has a Job!
My teen son got a job! Amazing! It took over a year of searching by foot and on the Internet, applying countless times, and uncharacteristic persistence and follow through. It was not easy. He experienced some unfair treatment and he also hurt himself in […]
My Teenager Drives
I put off enabling my son to drive for as long as I could, but he passed the driver’s test on his third try and succeeded in getting his grades up to our agreed-upon level. I couldn’t delay it any […]
My Rookie Dad Mistake
With five kids of my own, I’m no rookie dad. But… I AM a rookie dad when it comes to raising a teenager! And last week, I had one of those “Dad Fail” moments with my 13-year-old son. I’ll share […]
Maturing Into a Man and Woman
How long does puberty in a boy last? A friend of mine who shall remain anonymous, but I’ll refer to as Max, was talking with me about the question of when we “grow up.” He related his own story which I’ll paraphrase, in […]
Teaching Teens to Care
The recent earthquake/tsunami disaster in Japan hit me very hard. The images and stories that were available so quickly were profoundly scary, real, and heart wrenching. I immediately reflected on my gratitude for not suffering such a tragedy and remembered my own brush with death (written about […]
“What We Got Here Is a Failure to Communicate”
I wonder who remembers that famous quote from the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke, improper use of English and all (it should be “have” rather than “got”)? That quote brings to mind the problems most parents face in communicating with their children, especially […]
A Young Artist, and a Parent’s Lesson
All parents hope to nurture their kid’s talents, but usually they hope it’s a talent they share or one they’d always dreamed of for themselves. This is often a first test for a parent. It sure was for me. I expected with two boys, I’d […]
The “Middle School Syndrome”
My “A Dad’s Point-of-View” column is carried all over the world and one of the wonderful peripheral benefits I receive is “virtually” meeting so many wonderful editors, publishers, and web-masters. One of them is Jennifer Jurgens, the news director/executive assistant, at wyomingnetwork.com. They have 17 community websites across Wyoming. She […]
Being a Teenager Can Be Wonder-Full
It’s so easy to complain about our teens. I know I’m guilty of too often dishing out criticisms, admonishments, and lectures. I worry that my boys might be doing drugs, drinking, or some other peer-pressure stupidity. But, they also deserve […]
Growing Up — Two Generations at a Time
Sometimes, life brings us a lot of lessons at once. In my family, we’ve gotten our share of them recently and they’ve added dimension to our lives and allowed us to each grow in different ways, without necessarily providing a […]