“The Greatest Generation” by Tom Brokaw Listen to audio or read together


14



“I don’t give a rat’s $@!#% how much respect u garner out in the world if you don’t show respect and love and serve those you love at home.” ____loosely quoted from Glennon Doyle’s ‘Untamed.’


14, 19



You’re not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. What’s something worth being hated for?


11, 14, 17, 21



Build a treehouse together


8



Take the family on periodic “spending fasts.” As an exercise, go a day, a weekend or a week without spending any money. Make due with what you have. Encourage participation. Tie in spending fasts with holidays, lent or in support of a cause.


7



Great article on making math fun: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/how-to-get-reluctant-children-to-embrace-math/2014/03/04/4be99e46-959d-11e3-8461-8a24c7bf0653_story.html


6



“Pirate Rules” is a temporary suspension of the usual rules. It means pretty much anything goes for this moment so we can all stay sane. ——-Loosen the rules on snacks, bedtime, screen time, etc. in special circumstances.


1-5



Just let a sweet moment be. There’s a time for jokes or small talk, but sometimes silence is best.


15,21



Find what you love Do what you love Be what you love Live what you love Love what you love and never look back ... Except to love.


19



You’re not obsessed with that person you’re just hyper fixating. It’s ADHD.


12, 16, 19, 21



Practice being embarrassed. Tell embarrassing stories. Help them learn how to deal with the sensation.


9



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


17



You can get into big trouble (with school and the law) even by fake / joke threats of violence (bomb threat, etc.) No jokes or pranks that have anything to do with violence.


11



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


11, 14, 18



Men worry about getting laughed at or rejected by a woman. Women worry about getting killed when they reject a man. Let that sink in.


15, 21



Read “Lighter” by Yung Pueblo. Read it every year.


17, 19, 21



Get up early on a Saturday and go downtown. See how fun it is to be up before the rest of the world.


7-9



Chemistry is not the same thing as compatibility.


16, 19, 21



Sometimes (oftentimes) the truth is easier to find than to face.


14, 20



Surround yourself with people and ideas that inspire you and captivate you. Life is too short for destructive relationships.


13, 18



For a bad cut / gash, use a rolled up washcloth or hand towel to apply pressure until you can get to an ER. If you have to drive yourself or need your hands free, secure the towel in place with duct tape.


18



Don’t be a mooch! Contribute: To your home, your relationships, your work, your community, your church, your country, the world. Think about how much you get from all these things. It’s so much more from all these things than you could ever pay back, but that doesn’t mean you don’t try. Dig in and contribute wherever you can. Never free-load. That’s not who we are. Be brave and contribute your talent, treasure or whatever you can. Duty and compassion both demand it.


11-18



Surprise! You’re not perfect. No one is. Do your best, but don’t expect perfection from yourself or any other human, young or old. Have compassion...We’re all in this together and we need each other to be kind and encouraging.


17, 21



Watch TED talk on Rejection Therapy: “What I learned from 100 days of rejection | Jia Jiang”


15, 21



Stay put, don’t wonder if lost when we hike.


2, 3, 5



Pick an issue. One single issue, i.e. the economy or the environment or coverage of a certain event such as a crime or a sport season. Read at least one newspaper article on that topic every day. NYT, London Times etc.


14, 15, 16, 21



Other peoples’ expectations are the guard rails on the road. They keep you safe and guide you he way - literally. They keep you from driving off a cliff. So if you want to be safe, and if you do that’s great, stay within the guardrails. But if you want to fly, you’re gonna have to run right over them.


18, 21



Screw “achievement.” Do things you enjoy, share experiences that expand your capacity for joy and compassion. It doesn’t matter if you’re any good, it just matters that you’re in your groove.


16, 21



Addiction is when you can’t get through the day without something. It’s not that you need to feel high, it’s that you can’t live without what gets you high. Humans are all wired to be at risk for addiction


13, 15, 18, 20