The Daughter-In-Law Factor
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to put my focus on the parenting buffet. There is so much on the table, so many choices, so many categories, so much to teach and so little time. I have to confess, sometimes my parenting is motivated by what I call... Read More
Rescuing Your Child When Life Isn’t Fair
My son attended a small, private high school. It was a wonderful school, that had a rule for everything, and many of their favorite rules had to do with uniforms. Students were required to wear their uniforms, and nothing but their uniforms, whenever they were on campus. As... Read More
We’re the Surratts
I’m the first to admit it. We’re quirky. We have family meatloaf challenges and think finding a good parking spot is a competitive sport. The name Bob makes us laugh (I’m not exactly sure why but I laugh anyway). We make up names for each other, i.e. The... Read More
Family Life | High School (9th-12th)
How to Keep Your Cool When Your Kids Don’t
“Everyone’s going to be there. You have to let me go to the sleepover. Jack’s one of my friends…I can’t skip his party. You guys are the worst parents ever.” If you’re still getting your kids through the early years, you probably haven’t heard words like these. Some... Read More
Quantity of Quality Time
The quantity of time we spend with our kids provides comfort and communicates importance. You’re probably familiar with the expression that your calendar reflects what’s important to you. But we often rely on quantity time as a substitute for quality time. It’s not quite the same, though. Read More
The Wrestling Match
He told us matter-of-factly this morning that he thought he was getting taller. We’re short people. So this was big news. And he was right. Asher, my six-year-old is getting taller. And his knees are getting knobbier, bearing more scraps from run-ins with sticks, cement, and rocks. His hands... Read More
Finding Confidence in Parenting
There are a lot of things I’m confident about. I’m confident that my 3-month-old hates sleep. I’m confident that my kitchen will remain a mess until the year 2050. I’m confident that I’ll never ever like sushi. And I’m confident that I will always choose the slowest line... Read More
What Will My Kids Think About Their Childhood?
I know it’s hard to imagine your child being an adult right now when they’re running around in a diaper eating dirt, but it’s going to happen. They will become adults one day. Adults with thoughts and opinions and something I’m just now thinking about—a response to how... Read More
It’s Just A Phase So Don’t Miss It
Kids grow up fast. If we aren’t paying attention we can miss it. We don’t want adults to miss the distinctive opportunities that are present at every phase of a kid’s life. That’s why we started a project called “It’s Just a Phase.” We created this video as... Read More
The Secret to Connecting with Your Kid
In Georgia, we’re approaching the 100th day of school. This being the first year where we have a child in school, this is a big milestone. Not necessarily for our kindergartener, but for us, his parents. School, as turns out, is no joke. I am still waiting on... Read More