SULTRY SUPER BOWL
I watched most of the super bowl on Sunday, and I became extremely plugged into all the sexual content of the commercials and Beyonce’s half time show. And I worried once again about the effects …
Stan the Man and Abraham Lincoln
I am glad that Stan Musial’s funeral and his life have been headline news around here the past few days. I was getting sick of hearing about failed figures like Lance Armstrong and Manti Teo …
STRESSED COLLEGE STUDENTS
I read a recent article from Macleans CA about the rapidly rising incidence of mental health problems experienced by college students in Canada and the US. They found that a quarter of university-aged Canadians experienced …
Middle Schoolers and Instagram Don’t Mix
There was another new story recently about someone at a local middle school misusing a social networking site to bully fellow students, this time Instagram. Which begs the question, at least for me: why are …
Toys and Gender
I recently read with interest a few articles about parents and toy companies pushing gender-neutral toys on us again. There is a Barbie construction set and pastel colored Lego sets to name a few. And …
Manti Te’o: JUST A 22 YEAR OLD KID???
Just a quick thought about something I heard today on the radio in regards to the unfolding drama about Notre Dame football player Manti Te’o. Several people on different shows said we should go easy …
Lance Armstrong- Does the end justify the means?
Lance Armstrong will be the center of Oprah’s attention tonight, which means he will at the center of the universe as we currently know it. I’ve heard and read a lot about how we should …
Lance Armstrong- Does the end justify the means? Read More »
TRAVELLING AS A RIGHT OF PASSAGE
Listening to my sons, ages 27 and 23, describing their recent adventures in South America to a friend reminded me of why such trips are so valuable for young people. The 27 year old was …
DELAYING MARRIAGE
As I sit here in my new snoopy PJ bottoms given to me by good friends at Christmas, I’m not quite sure what to make of the fact that so many young people in their …
Thou Shalt Not SHOULD On Thyself
The holiday season is over, but did you take the opportunity to make it what you wanted? Meaning, now that january 1 has passed are you all pissy because you had to do this and …
Look Backward Before Setting Resolutions
Before you blurt out some new resolutions for the new year, I’d suggest you 1st look backward for insight. If you failed in accomplishing goals for 2012, ask yourself “why?” What kept you from staying …
Why Kids Love Boxes More Than Presents
It’s an old adage that little kids often end up playing more with the present boxes and wrapping paper than the presents themselves. And I think that is true for some very important reasons. First …
Kids Process Newtown Tragedy
I sat this week in a classroom of 5th grade students, a class I have worked with with my wife many times since they started the 4th grade last school year. We have been helping …
Lessons from Sandy Hook Elementary School
My first thoughts about what happened yesterday are really not thoughts at all; they are just feelings. Sad; angry; powerless stand out. I work in so many schools and I can’t imagine if it had …
Are Teachers Harder On Girls?
The old logic held that teachers were harder on boys and that boys got into trouble a lot more than girls. I ran a weekend retreat recently for middle school girls and they had a …
Cooperation Trumps Competition
I recently saw a documentary entitled I Am, and was ecstatic to get some science behind my beliefs about competition. When I work with girls in the classroom with my Strong Girls Strong World program, …
Stop Babying Your Children!!!
As I walked through the streets of Cusco, Peru last week, I noticed so many young children standing on the curbs of some really busy streets. There were some tiny little, probably 2 year olds …
Where Did You Go To High School? HUMBUG!!!
It is an annual St. Louis tradition to ask people where they went to high school, because we all have HUGE judgments about each school and what it means about the people who went there. …
Girls Need Sacred Spaces!
I have a weekend retreat coming up in a few weeks for middle school girls, and it reminds me of how important it is for all girls and women, but perhaps most importantly for girls …
The Gifts Of A Storm
I saw some kids living in Sandy-ravaged New Jersey interviewed by reporters the other day, and their thoughts were interesting. Several spoke of their new-found appreciation for what is really important in life, ie. not …
