It was one of those nights. The boys would not go to sleep. They had that contagious energy that so often keeps brothers awake. The first time their father came in to tell them to go to bed, they didn’t listen. The second time, too. More giggling. Fighting. Playing games. Messing around. Getting into mischief. …

A lot can go wrong. You and your spouse could split up. You could get cancer and die before your kids grow up. They could join a cult. They could move far away. They could be the victim of injustices or experience serious adversity. We have no idea what life has in store for our…

Cato the Elder was a great man. He was successful at agriculture. He was successful as a writer. He was a powerful politician. He towered over Roman life not just in his own time, but for generations hence.  Yet that wasn’t what he was proud of. That’s not what he worked hardest at, or admired…

Tracee Ellis Ross has a famous, successful mother: the singer Diana Ross. You might think that someone that successful would care a lot about success. Indeed, it’s a pretty common pattern: the driven parent drives their children—to get good grades, to win games, to be the strongest, prettiest, or most popular. They want to continue…

There’s a lot of darkness in the world. A pandemic. Corrupt and failed politicians. Institutions groaning under the weight of modern problems. Maybe your neighbors are a jerk, or your boss sucks.  It can be easy to feel depressed about how things are. It can be easy to pass this onto your children. But how…

It hits you randomly. You’re in the middle of packing your kids up for a drive to the beach. You’re laying on the couch because your back hurts. You’re telling your daughter to stop messing with the thermostat.  Holy crap. I have become my parents. There’s a funny part of it, of course. Like those…

You can look at all the negative in the world. You can focus on the dark clouds above. Or you can look for the silver lining, the bright spots.  We have that expression about whether the glass is half-full or half-empty? Well, what worldview are you going to teach your children? Sure, things are bad….

Maybe your parents have “issues.” Maybe you have trouble getting along with your siblings.  Maybe your spouse and you are very different.  Maybe you have a “Just No Mother-in-Law.” Maybe you have a kid who has struggled with addiction, with anger issues, with a disability.  Maybe you have all these things and more.  It’s tough….

Your kids are always listening, that’s true. They’ll always look to see what you’re doing and learn from you. Nell Painter learning from her mother’s career change late in life is proof of that.  But it’s also a fact that when they’re young, they’re much more impressionable. They can pick up languages earlier. They have…

You’re making good money. You’re saving. You’re investing. You’ve bought those personal finance books that tell you how to manage your finances. You’ve worked extra hard, taken risks, done everything you have to do to create a better life for your kids. Maybe you’ve even taken some time to do some estate planning so that…