Foundation Father
Daniel Boone recognized the screams of his daughter. Jemima Boone, thirteen years old, and two other girls were kidnapped by a small group of Shawnee and Cherokee. Daniel Boone started tracking the group barefoot, not taking the time to fetch his mocassins. The pursuit through the Kentucky wilderness lasted two days before Boone’s party finally […]
There should be a reward for whining, and it should be consistently distributed every time one of your kids begins with the martyr routine. What is that reward? More of what they are whining about. Are they whining about a chore they have to do? They get another chore they have to do immediately after. […]
There comes a time in every child’s life when they will declare war on their parents’ way of doing things. You might think I’m talking about the teenage years. No. I’m talking about a time between 18 and 36 months. Maybe earlier, depending on the child. Children begin to assert themselves early, and they will […]
Boys are different than girls. They are not defective because they are different. The differences between the sexes are glorious and proper. Public schools, in particular, can promote the opposite of this truth. They reward rule-followers and seekers of safety. Any boy who steps out of line, even a little bit (like rebelling against sitting […]
When I shared everything my son had to do to pass his rite of passage, he seemed intimidated. That’s because it’s designed to be hard. Not impossible, but hard. He didn’t want to do any of it. But then I showed him we’ve already been working toward some of these things for years. In some […]
Words are powerful. They can be used for good or for ill. Blessing or cursing. Their absence can also be felt, and fathers, in the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes forget to give our sons the vital nourishment they need. Here are things your son should hear from you often. “I love you.” You […]
When talking to your kids, sometimes silence is your best friend. Everyone wants to fill up the void of silence. It’s hard to resist the temptation to talk. This is great advice when interviewing anyone or negotiating as well. Don’t break the silence. Let the other person do it. But it can also help when […]
It’s easier to get your kids to love reading if they love books. Obviously, you should be making use of your local library, using it so much your library cards begin to melt. But it’s helpful for children to start building a library of their own. to have books of their own. To learn to […]
So many problems with our children would be solved if we walked alongside them and struggled with them. A lot of the time, we give them tasks without modeling how to do those tasks and then get mad that they don’t figure it out on their own. But there is a better way. Use everything […]
Here is one ironclad law of fatherhood: let the burden fall on you. Men were made with big shoulders and so they were made to carry a heavier load. What do I mean by this? When there is something unpleasant that needs to be done, you should be the first to start the task. You […]