Check out fencing. Local fencing club has classes for kids and adults all ages. They also do birthday parties, so that might be something different that would be fun for him and his friends.


10



What problem do you want to solve in the world?


1Infant-14



You are 100% replaceable at work. You are not replaceable at home. A good work ethic is crucial but don’t drain yourself to the point that you don’t have anything left for your family and friends.


21



Home is where they love you.


13, 17, 21



You don’t have to choose to be single forever to enjoy being single for now.


17, 21



Put your purse, (wallet,bag, phone, or shoe) in the backseat with the baby. Unattended babies die every day and it’s my worst nightmare.


Infant-3, 21



I hope you never abandon yourself to be loved or accepted by someone else. They’re not getting the real you and you’re missing out on the experience of being loved and accepted just as you are.


16,21



Read Harry Potter series to him / with him.


9-10



Don’t get discouraged in how slow change comes. Keep fighting for good. Some people will say it’s naive but they’re wrong. Every good thing we have in America is the result of good people fighting a seemingly impossible fight.


16, 21



Talk about how to speak up for themselves and others.


1Infant-12, 16, 21



Universal Studios


12-18



Appreciate other cultures when traveling or interacting among people from different cultures. Once on a mission trip, the locals brought coffee and cookies by in the afternoons, but I never took any. I regret that lost opportunity for connection.


14, 18, 21



Focus on the lesson not the pain.


14, 21



If your partner doesn’t want to commit to you, it’s not a matter of convincing them. Even if you get them to walk down the aisle that’s not the problem. It’s not that they don’t want to get married, it’s that they don’t want to BE married to you. And that is not a problem that will go away even if you manage to “get” them to commit. Walk away or spend the rest of your life pulling them along. F that.


21



Read If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin. Young adult coming of age story.


14, 17



Keep a pair of nail clippers in the car - much better lighting outside. Clipping tiny fingernails is terrifying!


Infant-1



1

“Pain that is not transformed is transmitted.” Fr. Richard Rohr


14



Keep stuff on hand for guests. Be ready to be a good host / hostess at any moment.


16-21



1

I don’t want you to do drugs. It could hurt or $@!#% you. If you get caught doing drugs it could hurt your academic record


12, 15, 18



Help him write a letter to someone in power if he has a question or concern about something he sees going on in the world.


7-11



The Buddhists say “life is suffering.” I think struggle might be a better word. Struggle is unavoidable, and it would do us good to stop expecting otherwise. And yes, everybody experiences pain and loss, etc. but I don’t believe we should expect our lives to be full of suffering.


17, 21



Never say anything behind someone's back that you wouldn't say to their face.


11, 14, 18



It’s so tempting to write someone off, to dismiss them as “less than.” They’re too young or too old to be taken seriously. They speak a different language or have a different skin color. They may be poor, uneducated, disabled or just simply unattractive. RESIST that temptation. Remember that every human being is God’s creation, a masterpiece cloaked in dignity. No matter what they look like or even what they’ve done, everyone you meet is deserving (and in need) of respect. To be humble is to remember this. (Start lesson young, phrased age-appropriately, and reticket yearly. Look for opportunities to discuss.)


8, 10, 11, 12, 16, 21



Teach them how to eat a chicken wing in one bite


12



Grandpa used to keep a hundred dollar bill stashed discreetly in his wallet “for emergencies.”


17



You don’t have to lower your standards, just lower your walls.


12, 15, 21



Kids Can Make a Difference is a great resource for teaching little kids about poverty and equality.


6-10



Keep stuff on hand for guests. Be ready to be a good host / hostess at any moment.


16-21



“A lot” is two words. (You wouldn’t write abunch as one word.) “Its” is a pronoun like his or hers (you wouldn’t write her’s) The contraction “it’s” ONLY means “it is.” They’re / there / their


10