Never open someone else's mail, or listen to their conversation, etc. If it's not your business to know, don't snoop.


14-21



ADHD hack for studying or projects- Leave yourself notes about where you left off.


13, 21



Your body and brain are always trying to protect you.


17



When they turn 18 they should have a will, a financial power of attorney and a medical PoA.


17,18



If there’s a ever a bird in the house, close the interior doors, open the doors to the outside and shoo it out with a broom.


18



“Praise in public. Discipline in private.” This is good advice for when you’re a parent and for when you’re a boss.


20



Go as a family to local high school musical productions.


9-13



1

Go on a tour of the Kennedy Center. Free guided tours through Friends of the Kennedy Center.


10



Give your all on the job, from your first day to your last day there. If you’re all caught up on your work help someone else with theirs.


17, 21



People will always have complicated feelings about the people they once loved. We’re human beings, we can’t expect emotions to be like an on/off switch. Complicated feelings/mixed emotions regarding an ex is to be expected. What’s important is what they decide.


17, 21



“The beginning parts are always the scariest.” -Jackson Daily (kid reporter on Today Show.)


10, 12, 16



Summer concerts at Wolftrap- get good seats so they can really get a sense of the experience.


13-16



Always keep a clean rag within arm’s reach in the car. You never know when you might need to clean-up a spill or smash a spider while driving 50mph.


16



What I most want to teach you this year is that you can always trust me. I will always love you, take care of you and never harm you. You may not always like me, but you can always trust me.


1



Your intuition speaks in statements


17, 19, 21



Go as a family to local high school musical productions.


9-13



1

Creepy is as creepy does - it’s not something you “are” it’s something you do. If you don’t want to be a creep then don’t f*cking act like one. People have a right to live their lives without being intruded upon. Don’t lurk, if you want to get to know someone tell them. Invite them to do something together or just hang out. If they’re not interested then drop it. You can ask again only if they have clearly signaled they changed their mind. (Which is more likely to happen if you respect their boundaries.)


13, 16, 19, 21



Look into summer jobs at national parks.


15, 17



Uplift your friends and surround yourself with friends who uplift you. In person and online. Encourage each other to let your lights shine brightly. Never bully or steal someone’s joy.


11, 15, 18, 20



Watch the local news together.


12



Grandpa never wore a watch. (This was way before cell phones existed.) Still, he always knew what time it was, and he was never, ever late.


14



It’s best not to cuss but writing bad words is even worse than speaking them. Even in casual texting, etc. Always an asterisk in place of a vowel to avoid being rude.


16



Jazz in the Garden free outdoor concerts at National Gallery of Art. Fridays during summer months.


7



None of us should ever have to apologize for being who we are.


10, 14, 21



Unkind people are unhappy people.


8, 18



Letting go isn’t something active. Rather, it’s something you stop doing. Stop hoping. Stop fooling yourself. Stop wishing things were different.


17, 21



Imagine a hundred different lives. Try a dozen of them. Fail at most of them. That’s part of what your twenties are for. Challenge yourself. Challenge your assumptions. Change your perspective. Grow.


20



Listen to Celebrate Calm podcasts for help dealing with defiance.


4, 9, 15



Zero-cost method to reaching your goals (academic, career, fitness and health): Get up an hour earlier. You’ll be amazed how much you can get done and how “on top of it” you feel.


16, 18, 21



Never follow an “I love you” with a “but...” Instead, follow it with “and...” or “that’s why...” Remember this when they’re young, teach it to them when they’re older.


10, 20