Many are familiar with The Stockdale Paradox. This concept, coined by Jim Collins in his book, Good to Great, came to be during a fantastic interview with the late Vice Admiral James Stockdale. For those who do not know the story, Admiral Stockdale was a Prisoner of War for more than seven years in Vietnam, and became known for his resiliency and leadership. Admiral Stockdale stated: “I never lost faith in the end of the story, I never doubted not …
You might carry a complete EMT kit in your purse, but it’s only useful if your kids are with you when they’re hurt. If they go to school, spend the night with friends, or attend sports practices without you, they need their own Everyday Carry first aid kit for kids. The trick is to make it useful and compact enough to keep all the time without breaking their backs—or the bank. Start with $1 The carry case in the photo …
The Opportunities “Can we have some nails?” my oldest asked me last weekend. “Why?” “We want to make some benches with the scrap wood.” It was an opportunity to teach them a new skill – hammering a nail. My husband showed them how to do it, found enough hammers and let them loose with their project. The preschooler quickly got frustrated with crooked nails. The oldest hit her finger with the hammer and cried a bit. But another one kept …
Emergency situations can be difficult for anyone to face, but it can be especially hard for a child. It’s so important to know how to calm children in a crisis. Picture this situation: Fifteen children under the age of 10 and about 8 adults are crowded in a bathroom as a storm rages around the building. The children heard the word “tornado” and are scared. The crying and shaking start. “Are we going to die?” “What about Daddy?” “Where is …
You have concert tickets, the babysitter is on her way and your county just got put under a tornado watch (conditions are favorable for tornadoes) – what do you do? No judgment – we went to the concert. We felt comfortable because we had prepared our babysitter for what to do if the county went under a tornado warning. Here’s what I had prepared for her, and you can do this, too. Prepare a Babysitter Folder Any kind of emergency …
Many of us have long lists of EDC items that never leave our sides, but what about our kids? Would they be ready for an emergency at school or even a friend’s house? Get this list with even more suggestions in a handy printable form. Here are some ideas for your child’s EDC: Whistle – If your child feels threatened by a stranger, a whistle will let other adults know that something isn’t right. Be sure to discuss with your …
My daughter loves living in Phoenix because there are virtually no natural disasters that threaten us and other than extreme heat and occasional thunderstorms, the weather is pretty cooperative, too. However, in our travels around the country, I’ve realized the importance of teaching my kids what to do in emergencies they might not encounter here at home. More than once, on trips to Disneyland, I’ve wondered what we would do if an earthquake occurred while we were in the middle …
A few weeks ago I was in a particularly depressed mood. That’s not the norm for me, but this time it was completely justified. I was pondering my children’s futures. College prices have sky-rocketed, far surpassing wage increases. My daughter will be ready for college in five years. Will we be able to afford a college education for her or even pay a percentage of it? And, if she does go to college, what will she major in that will …
8 Vital skills to teach your children that will trump an Ivy League education Read More »
We took the kids to the shooting range again yesterday, along with a reporter and photographer from the Arizona Republic, and once more I felt so grateful that my kids are confident, yet cautious, around guns. From the beginning, my husband and I wanted our kids to know two very important things about guns. #1 A gun is no big deal. Remember the scene in, “The Sixth Sense”, when a boy says to the main character, “Wanna see my dad’s gun?” …