A Lesson in Proportion

Sometimes, the things we expect the least – both good and bad – can teach us the best lessons in life. Last month, I said to a group of 26 child leaders that in many things of our life, the important thing is not what others give us, but what we choose to take. When I said that, I did not consider the possibility of taking a lesson from others without any intention on their part.

Two weeks ago, we learned a very valuable lesson from a good friend of ours. Tom, our friend, had never planned on giving us this lesson. In fact, if it was up to him, I think he would gladly not teach us this lesson at all because of the heavy price he had to pay for it.

I hope that when you read this story, you will choose to take as much as possible from it. Remember, it is not about what I write, but what you choose to receive.

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Motivating Kids (17)

Last part of the motivating affirmations list, tips and ideas for motivating your kids (and yourself).

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Motivating Kids (16)

Here is another part for your list of affirmations, which you can use to remind your kids (and yourself) that the world is a great place to live and that they (and you) are great people who can do great things.

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Anti-Social School

In recent years, privacy has become a very hot topic. New updates to privacy notices arrive in our email almost weekly, appearing more and more complicated over time. Whether you run your own business or work in someone else’s company, you are required to keep your clients’ privacy. And, of course, you worry about your own privacy the privacy of your kids when you go online. But sometimes, this can go a bit too far and hurt more than it helps.

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How to Avoid Abusive Relationships

Young man with tattoos and skill rings (may or may not be abusive)

As your daughter grows older and develops a relationship with a steady partner, the feeling of losing control grows too. Being the mother of a young woman (OMG, she is 20!), I see a lot of value in teaching teenage girls the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.

I am sometimes surprised to meet new clients who cannot understand how they got themselves into an abusive relationship. As you can imagine, getting a women out of an abusive relationship is much harder than not getting into such relationship in the first place.

If you are the parent of a young daughter, you are probably asking yourself, “How can I make sure my daughter never gets herself into an abusive relationship?” The good news is you can! And if you do it before the relationship starts, you have a better chance of succeeding.

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Watch Your language or Lose Your Kids’ Trust

When we talk about kids’ self esteem, we need to remember that a big part of it is instilled by parents, teachers and other important people in their life, called “socializing agents”. What these people say and do is the most important in the eyes of the kids who look up to them.

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The Seatbelt is Your Friend

When my daughter started driving, I was scared to death. Talking to her and many of her friends, I heard some awful reasons why they did not want to wear seatbelts. I was also shocked that those who wore seatbelts were doing it just to avoid a fine!

Highway signs where I live warn, “Wear a seatbelt of wear a fine”. This makes young people think that the police are out to get people who are not wearing seatbelts so that is the best reason to wear one. In a way, I believe the authorities are promoting negative thinking about seatbelts with their choice of advertisements.

Instead of teaching people it is important to take care of themselves and wearing a seatbelt can preserve their lives, they scare them into doing it to avoid punishment. But I think that’s the wrong motivation.

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Taken

Many times, I find my self cruising through life, busy with my routine and my goals and my way of thinking. Then, something happens, which is the equivalent of getting smacked on the side of the head, and I get thrown into an emotional turmoil. I am sure this happens to you too from time to time. Recently, I was hit by the movie “Taken”.

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Are Motorcycles Worth the Risk? What You Need to Consider

Occasionally, the question “Are motorcycles worth the risk?” comes up when someone wants to buy one. It’s rather topical in our family, so I wanted to share a story for the benefit of other families having this discussion.

It was Monday morning and I had just taken my 7-year-old daughter to school. On the way back, I passed my son’s high school. As usual, the high school intersection was full of parents dropping their kids off.

I turned left after a motorcycle. A parked car started making a U-turn and hit the motorcycle! The rider flew in the air over 30 meters and his motorcycle dragged on the ground after him.

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The Two-Edged Swords of Modern Life

As parents, one of the things we always worry about is what kind of a world we will leave for our kids. No matter how many times we vote and realize we can only cast one vote in millions into the box, we somehow still feel it is our responsibility to make sure that when our kids grow up, the world will be safe, clean and pleasant for them. It’s OK, it’s natural.

So let’s explore some things parents do “for their kids” and let’s see what they have to sacrifice in the process. If you have any more examples, I invite you to post them in the comment box below.

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