If I could go back and whisper something to 30-something-year-old me, it might sound like this list. It’s my personal Top Ten List of Things Parents Can Do to Help Their Children Succeed (or, how to raise kids that don’t suck). Today, the first three things I believe every parent can do to help their kids grow into strong, grounded, capable adults.
Tag Archives: Parenting
Love is the Tuesdays
Some days don’t feel extraordinary — they just feel like Tuesdays. But I’m learning that love often shows up in those ordinary, faithful moments. This post is a reminder that showing up—quietly and consistently—is sacred work.
The Best Moments Are the Ones You Don’t Plan
Sometimes the moments that matter most aren’t the ones we plan. They’re the quiet, ordinary ones—like pancakes on a Saturday—that leave the deepest imprint. This post is a reminder that the real magic happens in the in-between.
Being a Dad to Older Kids is Weird
Becoming a father for the first time 25 years ago, the author felt unprepared for the emotional challenges of parenting. Managing his children’s diverse emotions was tough, and he realized that his older kids don’t always want to hear his advice. Despite this, he finds solace in the hope that they’ll appreciate his wisdom one day.
3 Rules Every Family Should Live By
Since our eldest was born 23 years ago, Robyn and I have realized there are many things people say children should learn, many things parents should focus on to ensure their kids turn out great, to have a happy family. We’ve tried a few of them. Some of them have worked, but many of themContinue reading “3 Rules Every Family Should Live By”
3 Things Every Dad Should Do
What’s interesting in the lead up to the big moment of parenthood is that you learn all about how to have a baby. You learn how to breathe, what happens at the hospital, all the options for pain management. How to have a baby is a big deal, sure. But nobody tells you how toContinue reading “3 Things Every Dad Should Do”
10 Things Parents Can Do for Their Kids to Help Them Succeed
I have four children, so I get it. Parenting is hard. As James Dobson once wrote, it’s not for cowards. That beautiful little sleeping newborn is actually the beginning of a full grown human being, with wants, desires, attitudes, feelings, and emotions. And as that baby grows up, it will ask more and more ofContinue reading “10 Things Parents Can Do for Their Kids to Help Them Succeed”
10 Things You Can Learn from Disney’s “Frozen”
It’s the biggest movie in years, crossing over from family and little girls who love princesses to being a global phenomenon. It’s a two-time Oscar winner with thousands of YouTube covers of its songs, and beginning its 16th week in theaters, even after it was released on Digital Download, it was number 6 at theContinue reading “10 Things You Can Learn from Disney’s “Frozen””
What the Seattle Seahawks Can Teach Parents and Kids Everywhere
I’m not a football fan. I don’t obsess about records or scores. I can remember the names of players from my childhood better than the players who currently take the field. And yet, living in Seattle, it’s hard not to give in to the 12th Man. They’re everywhere. The people I work with are obsessed. Continue reading “What the Seattle Seahawks Can Teach Parents and Kids Everywhere”
A Beautifully “Odd Life”
Parenting isn’t easy. Even when your kids are “yours,” it’s not an easy task. Imagine if your child sprang up from your garden, full grown. It would be even harder. Walt Disney Pictures’ new film The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a beautifully-filmed and well-acted reflection on what it means–and what it takes–to beContinue reading “A Beautifully “Odd Life””
Duane S. Montague 