This is a continuation of a discussion of some basic parenting strategies that are particularly well suited to helping your kid develop Character. As you will see in later columns, you can use these techniques to focus on a particular Character-istic or all of them as the situation allows or need requires. Anticipate it. Character can be fostered in your …
Presentation to Spring Station Middle School PTO
Just got back from a really enjoyable visit with the folks at Spring Station Middle School (http://www.wcs.edu/sstms/). If you haven’t seen the Summit High School/Spring Station Middle School campus, it is this new, beautiful, modern school complex out in the rolling pastures of central Tennessee! Unfortunately for me, it is WAY down south in the county while my office is …
Fostering Character Develoment in Teens: The Basics, pt 1
To become a person of Character, teens require guidance, encouragement and accountability. They need help identifying fundamental values. They will need your help recognizing when and how to put these values into action. They need help holding to these values when personal desires or pressure to compromise threatens to lead them astray. (They need to know what “astray” is.) What’s …
Fostering Character Development in Teens: Introduction
Character is as important today as it has ever been. The same things that make American culture the wonder of the world – freedom, wealth, luxury, opportunity, diversity, tolerance, abundance – can tempt teens to be impulsive, aimless, focused on immediate gratification, greedy and entitled. Character is, and always has been, the antidote to these dead end life choices. Character …
Home as a Spiritual Center
Sunday was my final visit with Reverend Mack and the folks at Trinity Church. Kim and I got to witness the baptism of two new members of the church and partake in the observance of the Lord’s supper. For those unfamiliar with this Christian ceremony the Lord’s Supper is a sharing of bread and grape juice (in place of wine) …
Home As A Trauma Center
Let’s see. I’m on my third visit with the folks at Trinity Church and so far I’ve sweated in terror, laughed a lot and, now, cried. (I had this terrible fear I was channeling Jimmy Swaggart from back in my neck of the woods.) Why cried you wonder? Because I talked of my beloved grandmother; my beloved DEAD grandmother. That’s …