When Your Spouse Travels For Business: 16 Crucial Ways To Swim Rather Than Sink.

At 40000 feet, my parenting burden disappeared, while my wife’s suddenly doubled in weight. As the plane punched a hole in the atmosphere, I left another hole behind in my family. I just got back from a second weeklong trip in a short time, leaving my wife to fend for herself and 5 kids. Like…

Tag: travelling

Why Our Kids Need Our Time More Than They Need Our Money Or To Achieve.

Thinking money and achievement is worth more than time hurts your family, soul and kids. So thinks a wise man I spoke to this morning. When last did you sit at the feet of a sage? I got to do that this morning. It was unplanned. But the wisdom I received has the potency to…

Tag: time

Why Parenting Kids Age 4 And Under Is A Kind Of Madness – But Here’s 7 Glimpses Of Hope To Keep You Sane.

I am writing this post because I don’t want to be a fake. For months now I have been studying and reflecting on how to love my kids unconditionally. I have been getting ready to write, hopefully, a kickass blog series that will take us to the noble heights of parenting. But if I post…

Tag: parenting-is-hard

Two dads walk in their wife’s shoes and discover the awesomeness that is a mom

Mother’s Day is upon us. And I can think of no better way for us dads to honour moms than to try walk in their shoes, and living to tell the tale. This year my wife was recovering from an operation. For 3 weeks, I tried to fill the mom-void which included reading and skillfully…

Tag: humour, mothers

My girls, the Moose and the Bear

Parenting little lives is so hard it can make you cry. Unless it’s someone else we’re talking about – then we can laugh. Here’s a second guest blog by my friend, whiskey expert, poker player, marine lawyer, wanna-be-surfer, stand-up comic, co-pastor of a faith community and progenitor of 3 girls – the one and only…

Tag: humour

3 Remarkable Research-based Tools to Shape Your Kids’ Behaviour

Depending on the age of your child, each child needs about 50 directives a day just so that your family can function. If the child doesn’t comply with say 30 of those, and you have 3 kids, that’s close on 100 moments of frustration a day. The result for us parents? Rapid aging, moments of…

Tag: reward-charts

4 Tools That Can Spectacularly Improve Your Kids’ Cooperation (And Your Sanity)

Not just dads, but moms too, need plenty of tools in their parenting toolbox. With the right tools, things click more easily into place. Coercion is not needed. Nothing can drive us parents more insane than when, hour after hour, our kids don’t do the things we’re telling them to do or not do. For…

Tag: enlisting-co-operation, patience, pep-talks, role-plays

Why Are Siblings So Different?

The other day my friend told me, ‘I’m convinced my mom had an affair when I was a child.’ I was shocked. Had he uncovered some correspondence or pictures? ‘No, it’s just that there’s nothing in common between me and my younger sister.’ I laughed. ‘There are other possible explanations,’ I re-assured him. I have…

Tag: sibling-differences

20 Ways To Enlist Your Child’s Co-operation

Directing small kids is like herding cats. It’s enough to make you pull your hair out. I have five kids so I feel this acutely, but even my 2-kid friends seem to endure endless frustration when it comes to enlisting their children’s daily co-operation. ‘Come to dinner.’ ‘Stop that’. ‘Climb in the car.’ ‘Get your…

Move your but: What you say becomes your child’s inner voice (pt 4)

Parent, move your but. ‘I love you, but…’ How many times I’ve uttered this, mistakenly thinking it will anchor my child before providing some constructive criticism… Eli, I love you, but you need to listen the first time my boy! Fynn, I love you, but never take something without asking. Ivy, I love you, but…

Tag: power-of-words, unconditional-love