“It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to grieve. Because you can also live your life, and love your life, and be happy too.” Excellent advice from 9/11 survivor.


12, 15, 19



Remember: “C’s get degrees.” Don’t tie yourself in knots over grades.


17, 18



“Tell me the story of your day.” (Works better than “how was your day?”


5, 6, 10



Purchase book "All Are Welcome" by Alexandra Penfold to prep him for kindergarten.


5



Some men think if they just act like a total $@!#% then people will assume they’re uber intelligent. Just because someone is scary it doesn’t mean he’s scary smart.


15, 21



Time management skills. Look for current resources. Teach about making lists when you're feeling overwhelmed. Start with listing 5 to-do's. Tackle the top 3 of those. Then reassess. New priorities? If no, keep going down the list. If yes, add them to the list in whatever order of importance.


12



Let’s talk about how we can bless people - with what we have and by how we act.


7



Not knowing what you’re doing is a lot less terrifying than not knowing who to trust.


14, 19, 21



Be weird. Be happy. Be you. xoxo


12



Defending yourself from a bear: NEVER run from or turn your back on a bear. Remember the rhyme: “If it’s black, fight back. If it’s brown hit the ground, if it’s white like Similac, frozen bear gonna send u back.” - Mamadou Ndiaye


16



The mind replays what the heart wants to heal.


16



What does entitlement mean to you? I think it means the assumption that we are owed something simply by virtue of who we are rather than what we’ve earned.


10



Trust yourself.


20



Sometimes we’re just not ready to appreciate or understand a book or film or piece of art. Revisit them as you age.


19, 21



If you don’t know where to begin, picture where you want it to end, and work it backwards.


15, 21



Procrastinating is an Olympic sport for those of us with ADHD. Talk about ways to get “unstuck.” 1. Change your body - move to a different room or take a walk. 2. If you can’t move your body, move your focus. 3. Ask your brain how it’s trying to help you by paralyzing you. 4. Take deep breaths and let go of the shame and self-doubt you feel for getting stuck.


8, 9, 10, 14, 21



Thomas Jefferson’s Ten Rules of Conduct. This makes a good exercise for penmanship or for writing “lines” as instructional punishment.


11



Read Elizabeth Gilbert’s book on creativity. Re-read every few years!


17



Always wear an undershirt underneath a dress shirt.


13



Check out the Wolf Trap Children's summer theater.


4-11



It’s okay to not understand things. Just be sure the only place your ignorance leads you is to education.


15, 19



Check in on your friends. Even the ones that seem fine.


14-21



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


15, 16



Ask: What are you responsible for?


15-18



Educate yourself. You can't solve a problem if you don't understand it.


14-21



Great article about teaching young kids how to do better than “I’m sorry” when they’ve caused another child pain. https://offspring.lifehacker.com/what-to-say-to-little-kids-instead-of-say-sorry-1819288365?fbclid=IwAR0bKgo60isKj6a5D2s3cs1leWCIyK9TXTBK62upV9U1S_bR0otfJndwg_k


3, 8



Teach him what to do and how to act if he gets pulled over.


16



Anything you wear on purpose is fashion.


14, 19, 21



Water park for fifth birthday


10



Grandpa always said everything boils down to how you treat people. Always treating people with kindness and respect is the most important lesson he wanted to get across to us.


12-21