Character and Values

Character and Values

4 Ways to Teach Your Kids Initiative

When you look around, do you notice what you need to notice? Have you ever wondered why there are some people who can see things that other people just don’t see? It seems like some people just have this knack for looking around and noticing things others don’t.... Read More

Character and Values

Conviction & The Cool Table

The cool table officially begins in the third grade. I don’t have scientific evidence to support that claim because cool table research studies are very, very expensive. Instead, what I have is a daughter who bumped into the cool table in the third grade. I think as a... Read More

Character and Values

Emotional Intelligence – Key to a Kid’s Success

Anger. Fear. Disgust. Joy. Sadness. According to Pixar’s new movie Inside Out, these are the emotions vying for a front row seat in the control center of your child’s brain. Sound familiar? As parents, we understand the impact of these crazy characters. Whether they can be properly managed... Read More

Character and Values

8 Stories of Kids Starting Incredible Initiatives

In the book Stand Up: Get in the Story, we included eight stories of kids starting incredible initiatives to stand up for what’s right to help others. Find their stories using the links below. 1 – Kids Making an Impact in Their World 2 – Feed the Children – Week 1 3 – Kids... Read More

Character and Values

How Kids Learn to Stand Up For What’s Right

When I was little I wanted to be a super hero, pretty much because it would be cool to fly like Superman or have all those crazy gadgets like Batman. But also because I thought it would be pretty amazing to have the courage to stand up for what... Read More

Character and Values | Elementary (K-5th)

Raising Honest Kids

I’ve had many memorable parenting moments at Target, but this one trumps them all. My neck is getting red and splotchy just thinking of this day. This is the story our kids know and remember well—because it’s the day the virtue of Honesty came to life. My girls... Read More

Character and Values

Teaching Your Kids Peace in the Middle of a Chaotic World

Sometimes, on Saturday mornings I will anxiously blurt out to my wife, “What are we doing today? What are our plans?” Calmly, over a cup of coffee and a magazine she will say, “We’re doing it. Right now, this is the ‘it’ we’re going to do. The kids... Read More

Character and Values

The Road to Peace

Every morning on the way to work, I travel a road that seems like a never-ending construction site. Workers have been perfecting this throughway for months, but it seems like there’s no end in sight. The road is down to one lane in several places, bumpy and dusty... Read More

Character and Values

How to Raise Responsible Kids

Anyone who says parenting is easy . . . probably doesn’t have kids. Okay, definitely doesn’t have kids. It’s always fun when people call you a parenting expert. First, I think an expert is someone who’s not from your town. And second, a parenting expert is just someone... Read More

Character and Values

Focusing on the Good

The other day I was at a birthday party with my boys and while they were happily enjoying pizza and cake, I began chatting with another mom. We talked about our kids and then I asked her to tell me the story of how she met her husband.... Read More