In the words of Bear Grylls... '”Survival can be summed up in three words - never give up. That's the heart of it really. Just keep trying.”


14, 17, 21



Trust yourself.


20



Read “Attack of the Black Rectangles” by Amy Sarid King.


12



Guard your health and fitness as if it were your most valuable possession. (It is.)


14, 17, 21



Read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe together.


8



Plan out first concert.


11



Do something that feeds your soul every day. Experience or create joy, even if just a small spark of it.


17



“There’s a hole in the side of a boat. It can’t be fixed, it’s never going away, and you can’t get a new boat. This is your boat. What u have to do is bail water out faster than it’s coming in.” -Aaron Sorkin (Newsroom season 3 episode 6.)


17, 21



You can’t hit ‘em all outta the park. Some days (dates, reviews, vacations, report cards, etc.) are just going to fall flat. No worries, the next one will be better.


15, 19



Create tech-free zones and times.


10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 21



The "work" in "relationships take work" should be like the "work" it takes to go to the beach. “Sure, you gotta pack food, beverages, drive there, park, and set up... But you get to the beach


18, 21



An exercise in assumption. Have them answer “Just because I _______” doesn’t mean _________”.


10



“First the pain. Then the waiting. Then the rising.” Glennon Doyle


16, 21



It’s okay if you don’t know how (or don’t want) to move on. Start with something easier…just don’t go back.


16



Tube first 2 or 3 years of your life I would sing to you after bath time as I was getting you in your jammies. Two songs: Oh Shenandoah and Danny Boy. Rubbing your tiny little feet with baby lotion while singing to you is one of the happiest memories of my life.


21



Read (or listen to) A Fragile Stone together.


15



Just for the record, I didn’t vote for Trump. I want my great-grandchildren to know that.


18



When baby has prolonged diarrhea and her butt is really sore, mix a concoction of 50/50 Aquafor and Mylanta to use as a diaper cream.


Infant-2



Read Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson together.


17



Rain, snow or sleet...Always return the shopping cart to the proper spot in the parking lot.


17



I wish I had heard this in my 20’s. https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRtFBvGr/


20



In professional setting: Limit one exclamation point per email, if any. Definitely no emoticons.


19



Following your conscience is more important than getting ahead and will make a greater difference in how happy you are. Getting ahead or not isn’t entirely up to you, but listening to your conscience is.” - Senator Mitt Romney (paraphrase)


16



Worst thing in the world is spending your life with the wrong person.


21



"Tough times don't last. Tough people do."


11-14



Send them outside with an age-appropriate pair of scissors and have them “give the grass a haircut.” Fine motor skills!


2-4



True masculinity is vulnerable, compassionate and confident. Vulnerability takes courage. Kindness/compassion takes strength. Confidence: when you’re not really interested in what others think about you. It’s a natural byproduct of living in line with your own values and priorities.


11, 14, 16, 19, 21



Consensual sex requires no persuasion, convincing or begging.


14, 17



“Tell me something you want to be when you grow up.”


5, 8