Never allow anyone to tell you who you are.


17



My mom used to proudly describe herself as an “Irish Catholic Democrat.” I think my dad voted for Reagan once but other than that we’re all pretty liberal.


18



Be weird. Be happy. Be you. xoxo


12



Kindness is key. Practice being kind even when you don't feel like it. Let's all encourage each other to be kind always. (Or learn how to take a walk or go to our room when we just can't be kind in that moment.)


1-21



Everything not saved will be lost. This is true for documents in Word and in life.


16



Encourage others!!!


13



Don’t Just “go along for the ride” in your relationships. Be clear about your intentions and act accordingly. It’s part of being a man. A GOOD man. Sometimes you just need to have a talk and make sure you’re both on the same page. It won’t $@!#% you!


16, 21



Harm springs from excess.


12



“Natural” deodorant doesn’t work. Go with trusted brands here. There are times when it’s fine not to look your best, but stinky is never okay.


13, 18



Talk about how to act respectfully and be inclusive of children with disabilities and facial deformities, etc.


5-10



Sweetheart you don’t have room in your life for people who don’t get you. Let your light shine…and f*@k anyone who doesn’t appreciate it.


14, 16, 18, 20



Be the kind of man that people feel safe around. Safe from harm, safe from judgment and safe from ridicule.


17



Plan a trip to New York City to see Hamilton.


15



Date all kinds but marry someone who loves you for who you are, with whom you feel most yourself. Someone who will encourage you to grow more into the person you want to be. (And be good at encouraging them to do same.) Never fear or stifle each other’s growth. Celebrate it. Support it. Encourage it.


21



Life is hard. But it's not so hard you can't figure it out. You're going to be fine. xoxo


11-21



Sometimes it just takes a while to catch on. I had to watch Game of thrones 3 or 4 times before I could keep track of all the characters and subplots. Record your lectures so you can replay them a few times.


13,15,19



Watch film “Radio” (2003) and talk about being brave. Teach them that doing what’s right takes courage.


8



Compassion: Acting with love when faced with another’s suffering.


16



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


13, 21



Read Harry Potter series to him / with him.


9-10



There are a lot of people I care about. But I’ve decided there are only four whose opinion of me I care about: My kid, my god, myself and my dog.


18



Read “Raising a Screen Smart Kid” by Julianna Miner before you consider giving him a phone.


10



Go as a family to local high school musical productions.


9-13



1

Check out the website Brightly for timely and age-appropriate book recommendations. All sorts of subjects and themes.


5-12



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


15, 21



Sometimes progress is slow - Keep working. Sometimes change is swift - hang on!


16



Sometimes it happens that what you do [for a living] is who you are. I’m reading a great book about that called The Women by Kristin Hannah.


16, 20, 21



Read blog post from Parent's Corner: The Letter Your Teenager Can't Write You By Gretchen Schmelzer June 23, 2015


13-17



“If you want to be beautiful, make beautiful choices.” - (Greek philosopher whose name I can’t remember.)


10, 13, 17, 21



Practice road-rage roll playing. People are NUTS! It's hard to imagine how you'll react when someone gets aggressive with you. Let's practice staying calm when someone is shouting and in your face.


15-17