Around this time of year, I often think back to a conversation I overhead at a restaurant several years ago. Two brothers were talking about the start of school. The soon-to-be first grader told the waitress he couldn’t wait! The soon-to-be eighth grader, not so much. This made me sad – and it made me think. For the most part, young children entering the education system love...

Drive-by staff development – I do a lot of it around this time of year. Run in–Present–Run out–Repeat the sequence with a new group. Mind you, I’m not complaining. I love my work. And I totally understand administrators need to fit in a great deal of requirements into a narrow window of time. I just need to do a better job of remembering what’s really important when frustration sets in....

This morning I came across a children’s sermon I gave at our church several years ago about Fred Rogers that got me thinking.  As I told the kids – when I was younger Mr. Rogers taught me we are all neighbors and that we should be kind to one another.  He also taught me that when I was upset, scared or confused, to look for the helpers – adults around us helping to make things better....

Ever find yourself frustrated and angry, while those around you (usually your children) are terribly amused?  According to Facebook memories, this happened to me about eight years ago while attending a family wedding.  “One day we will look back at this and laugh,” I recall my wife telling me at the time.  Apparently for me, today is the day.  Yes.  It was a wedding, which meant we had to...

Fixated – this is the word that came to mind this morning as I looked across the Dallas airport at hundreds of fellow passengers – all on their cell phones and electronic devices. I smiled when I realized the number of them that appeared to be families heading off on summer vacations. However, as I sat and waited on my connecting flight for about 30 minutes, I found myself hoping these...

A reminder for all parents now that summer has begun: your children will drive you crazy.  This is normal and to be expected.  Genealogy is a funny thing.  It is uncanny how our kids are able to intuitively exhibit the very behaviors that most readily bring out the worst in us, their parents.  Ironically, I feel certain the behaviors that annoy us the most are often ones we exhibited to some...

Our lives need a balance of ritual and novelty.  Rituals are important for comfort, safety, and a sense of routine and predictability.  Novelty stimulates, invigorates and is just fun.  Aren’t we lucky summer provides the opportunity for both needs to be met?  Teachers need the ritual aspect of yearly summers to afford them a break from the normal school routine. They also need the high...

Do you feel it?  Summer is on the horizon, and accordingly, the winds of change are ushering in all manner of challenging behaviors.  We expect this when dealing with kids, as their developing brains are still learning how to cope with change. Adults, however, have moved past the learning stage and are into the life-choice habit stage of behaving. Unfortunately, when some adults are confronted...

Since we celebrate moms today, it seems like a good time to reflect on motherly instincts and how they manifest through various behaviors: Moms who… …return home to fetch projects, costumes, or lunches children forgot …tie shoes, zip jackets, unpack backpacks, or carry their children to class …get defensive when confronted about their children’s behavior …have difficulty setting boundaries...

From what I’ve been told and come to believe, laughter is the best medicine.  And if that is the case, I have a very strong immune system thanks to the talent of one lady I watched on TV every Sunday evening when I was younger.  She turned 90 years-old this week and had a special commemorating the event.  Happy Birthday, Carol Burnett. As I watched the show, it dawned on me that I’ve been...