Raising my children was a 24/7 job. As a volunteer facilitator at The Parenting Network (a National Fatherhood Initiative program in Milwaukee), I’ve heard from thousands of fathers who agree; every group teaches me something and after ten weeks we all feel better and even wiser. The parents who came in with a chip on…
They’re getting smarter and faster and stronger than ever before. Impressive! Their communication skills are changing from directly verbal to wireless When is the last time you saw a ten year old eat? Where does it all go? Their competitive eye is showing up in 4 year olds. 5 year olds beware! Too many unhealthy…
After 28 years with the same company I had to ask myself; why are you still doing the same thing you did when you were 25 years old? Every week they want you to face in a new direction. New policies, good and bad managers. It was time to manage myself without a “bottom-line” mentality….
Have an exit strategy. Know where you’re going, why you’re leaving and how you’re going to pay those pesky bills. Some companies will give you a severance package. The longer you’ve been employed at the company the more they will offer. Insurance. You need it. Your family needs it. Make sure you understand your options…
I was out for a summer run the other morning and realize that my pace has slowed. At first I wondered if I was tired, lazy or simply getting older. As I continued to put my five miles in I began to think about the benefits of exercise in general. Here’s what I came up within…
Most of us don’t think about flying away to somewhere warm during the summer months. We’re busy enjoying the outside, the flowers and grilling with our family. I try to get away for a week during the winter months. The icicles that form on my soul need a chance to warm up and melt in…
My neighbor Sophie is 19 and plays the violin like an angel. A music major in college, she is home for the summer. I’ve known her since she began playing at age four. Yesterday she had a lesson with a friend and a lady from the symphony. Windows wide open I received yet another in…
When I headed off to college my mom had two ways of connecting with me. 1) She could call me in my dorm room, and if the planets were properly aligned, she’d get me on the phone. 2) A letter. How did we survive. Today’s parents have a plethora of electronic ways to “stay connected”…
We were stunned once again as a country with the recent shootings in Connecticut. Safe at school or in a movie theater have become things of the past. Men, women and our most precious children are being gunned down by fellow countrymen. It’s sickening, but when you stop and think about it, we humans have…
Saving for college is tough. Meg and I promised our two kids Jonathan and Alexandra, aka the money pits, that we’d pay for a four year college education, books and housing included. The economy continues to inch along, the four years turns into four and a half years and we find that we’re a bit…
