"Your authority doesn't weaken when you say 'I'm sorry.' It deepens." The Moment I Lost It A couple weeks ago, my wife went on a well-earned vacation with her mom to celebrate her 70th birthday—leaving me flying solo with the kids for two weeks. At first, I was feeling pretty good about it. Work? Handled. Meals? Cooked. School drop-offs and sports practices? Crushed … [Read more...] about The Dad Apology: How Owning Your Mistakes Builds Unshakable Trust
From Gold Stars to Grit: 5 Simple Shifts for Raising Kids with a Backbone
How I'm learning to raise kids who stand for something—even when the world tells them to chase everything. What Are We Actually Raising? Last night I found myself reading a parenting book while my youngest sat three feet away eating sidewalk chalk. The irony wasn't lost on me: there I was, highlighting passages about "nurturing cognitive development" while my kid was … [Read more...] about From Gold Stars to Grit: 5 Simple Shifts for Raising Kids with a Backbone
Meeting Your Kids Where They Are: The One Shift That Changed Everything
"Each child is a different book. Don't try to read them all with the same glasses." Having four kids means I have a front-row seat to chaos, growth... and a rotating mirror of my own flaws. Also, somehow, a front-row seat that never reclines, comes with zero snacks, and occasionally gets peed on. There's nothing quite like fatherhood to humble you while simultaneously making … [Read more...] about Meeting Your Kids Where They Are: The One Shift That Changed Everything
6 Steps to Get Your Kids to Open Up: A Dad’s Guide to Listening Without Fixing
"Connection doesn't come from control—it comes from curiosity." The Silent Car Ride We've all been there. My 12-year-old daughter slumps into the passenger seat, backpack dropped carelessly at her feet. I glance over, trying to read her expression without being obvious, and launch into the same question I ask every day: "How was school?" "Fine," she mumbles, already … [Read more...] about 6 Steps to Get Your Kids to Open Up: A Dad’s Guide to Listening Without Fixing
What Fasting Taught Me About Focus, Fatherhood, and Seeing What Really Matters
Last night, somewhere around Hour 30 of a fast, something strange happened. My vision sharpened—not metaphorically, but literally. I could see more detail. Lines looked crisper. Shadows had definition. I felt more awake, more attuned. I wasn't just looking—I was seeing. The world around me hadn't changed, but something in me had. And it was happening during what most would … [Read more...] about What Fasting Taught Me About Focus, Fatherhood, and Seeing What Really Matters