“The sacred exists and is stronger than all our rebellions.” Czeslaw Milosz Skipping the qualifiers, we live in an era where rebellion has been mainstreamed. Rebellion is, ironically, very conventional. Pedestrian even. The pervasiveness of rebellion extends to literature and media for children, driving the stories most kids are exposed to every day. I’ll go…
A few days ago, our family went to a drive-in theater and watched a double-feature under the stars. It was a fun time with friends and a first for our kids. The movies were Planes and Monsters University. I’m no movie reviewer (as you shall see), but the contrast between the two movies was fascinating….
Today being a holiday, please enjoy this re-post from days of yore. -Sam —– —– —– Tonight, I made tacos with the kids. My poor wife is experiencing morning-afternoon-and-night sickness with our fourth child, so I have some extra opportunities to be with the other three. Our oldest is eight and she is a beauty….
“There’s a positive correlation between a student’s vocabulary size in grade 12, the likelihood that she will graduate from college, and her future level of income. The reason is clear: vocabulary size is a convenient proxy for a whole range of educational attainments and abilities—not just skill in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, but also…
There are ways of seeing truth that you find and there are some that find you. An illustration found me one day and I wonder if it might serve you and any kids you happen to love. Get out some playing blocks –the kind kids use to make houses and towers. Leave these alone on…
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” ―Martin Luther Our baby daughter is at it again, tearing down the block-built towers of the older kids. I’m sorry, kids. She needs to be in here now and there’s no keeping her from the blocks…
This is the second of a loose series loosely called Blockpile Meditations. Series, thou art loosed. Part one is here. —– —– —– Our four-year-old son is getting it. He has built his castle of blocks and he is smiling. It is tall and imposing. It is lovely. But an enemy lurks on the edges…
This is the first of a short series of short posts I’m calling Block Pile Meditations. Like Adam before me, I named them that because I couldn’t think of anything better. –Sam —– —– —– In our family, we play a game with wooden blocks called “Castle Wars.” Maybe you do something similar. In short,…
It’s become a tired punchline that parents are weary of being asked “Why?” a thousand times a day. I get that. We are as tired as the joke is. In frustration, we may say, ‘Because I said so!” That is probably best classified as what scientist call a “crummy” response. But it does hint at…
“Parenting is a war between you and your kids. The hard thing is the parents have this impossible mission of making sure both sides win.” –Sum Guye the Wise My wife and I have some sort of slapdash plan of attack when it comes to setting behavioral expectations for our kids in different situations. Behavior…
I think it was Peter Leithart who said, “Let there be a garden of Yes surrounding your tree of No.” I love that. It’s hard, if you are an engaged parent, to keep from saying “No” all day long. There are so many opportunities! So it’s a gift when you can seize upon a Yes….
If trees were tall and grasses short, As in some crazy tale, If here and there a sea were blue Beyond the breaking pale, If a fixed fire hung in the air To warm me one day through, If deep green hair grew on great hills, I know what I should do. In dark I…
