Struggle is just part of the process. It doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong or you’re dumb. It’s a key element of how we all learn.


11



Sometimes good people aren’t a good match. It’s better for both of you if you’re honest with yourself and with them.


17, 21



“Fitting in” requires that we change who we are to fit someone else’s idea. True “belonging” never asks us to change who we are, it demands that we be who we are. - Brene Brown


12, 17



Sioux Nation quote: No one heals himself by wounding another.


16



It matters more “how” you go to college than “where” you go to college.


16



Plan a neighborhood "Winter Olympics" for snow days. Create indoor and outdoor events.


8



You’re someone’s cup of tea. I don’t mean there is only one person out there for you, I mean someone is waiting to love you exactly how you are. Stop wasting time with fools who want to change you to fit their ideal.


15, 19, 21



Let’s find an activity where you can work with your hands


11



vaccinate! Science is good.


0, 1, 2, 3, 5



Watch Abby Wambach's 2018 Barnard commencement address together.


16



Learn how to sail together


12-15



“Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you see with your own eyes isn’t happening.” -English teacher Read Diary of Anne Frank together.


12



Of all the things I worry about, addiction is very high on the list. Begin talks (age appropriate) about addiction.


7



Sometimes when you win, you lose. And when you lose, you win. Meaning that sometimes when you get what you want it doesn’t work out well. And sometimes wonderful things happen as a result of a failure or disappointment. Chin up. There’s a million paths to happiness and fulfillment. If one doesn’t work out your will find another.


12, 21



Ask your emotions “why” three times.


14, 16, 21



“Dress braver than you feel. Act braver than you feel.” - Ray


17



Watch The Last Lecture before school starts on a pivotal year, like middle school, high school.


11, 12, 13, 14, 15



Ask yourself "What kind of man do I want to be?"


14-21



Institute a “Wall of Fame” for accomplishments and victories, big and small. AND a “Wall of Shame” for minor infractions such as not changing the toilet paper roll, etc. We have to be willing to put ourselves on the wall of shame too - and that’s the lesson: We all make mistakes but we own up to them, fix them if possible and learn from them always. Also good fun. Start our with actual paper version but transition to a shared iCloud album to post wall of shame pics once they are old enough for phones. Maybe even continue through adulthood if they “shame” themselves!


5-15, 18, 21



Always have a 5 year plan. Be thinking of goals you want to work towards, however big or small. What inspires you? What drives you? What do you want to accomplish or cure or solve?


15, 17, 21



Don’t take criticism from people you wouldn’t take advice from.


16



End of August by Robert Frost is one of my favorite poems.


20



It's natural to avoid change. Try to learn to accept change, embrace it if you can! Change is good. :)


15



The moment you lose your cool, you’ve lost.


12,13, 14, 15, 16, 21



Keep porn to a minimum. Never at school or work. It's normal to be curious but it's really not a healthy representation of sex. Porn is a business. It's designed to get you off, not to be realistic or educational. That's not the way sex looks or how you're expected to behave. Try O.school instead.


15



Anything you deny or fight will fight you back harder. Don’t fight the fear, pain, disappointment, etc. Let it in and let it teach you what it wants to teach you. Then you can part as friends.


15, 21



Be yourself. No need to pretend to like something the crowd is doing. Half of them are probably just as unenthused as you are but are afraid to say so.


12, 15



Look into going to college abroad. Research international universities. Spain, Netherlands, etc.


15, 16