It's a skill to learn how to love people the way they need to be loved. I highly recommend reading the Five Love Languages.


18, 21



SAT Prep https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/opinion/how-i-learned-to-take-the-sat-like-a-rich-kid.html


16



Soothe a newborn: Swaddle , shushing noise, swing, side/stomach position, suck on a binkie. Read The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp (or watch the video.) It' a life-saver.


Infant



I highly recommend you read The Crane Wife by CJ Houser.


15, 17, 19, 21



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


10



Plan a trip to New York City to see Hamilton.


15



Approach difficult conversations looking to learn something, not to prove something.


16, 21



Teen years are a whole other ballgame. Find a community and stay up with trends and news. Check out the website Raising Teens Today.


12



Start a tradition of setting goals for Ne Year. Keep a notebook in with the Christmas ornaments and each year we all add in whatever we want to focus on: such as our resolutions, goals, hope or plans, etc. That will be something fun to do at the end of the year when we’re taking down the tree and putting away all the holiday stuff.


8



Let's all go on a "complaining diet." See how long we can go without a complaint for a weekend. Repeat often.


9-15



Summer concerts at Wolftrap- get good seats so they can really get a sense of the experience.


13-16



Start a vegetable garden.


7



Being numb is not the same thing as being happy.


15-18



Sex isn’t something you “score.” It’s not a competition. Whether the encounter is casual or within a committed relationship it’s something that is shared.


16, 19, 20



Make a Shutterfly book for each year and give it to them on their birthday.


5-18



Stuff will happen and you’ll think “I can’t get through this. I can’t go on.” In the moment it really feels that way. But ...You will survive. You’ll find a way. Never give up on yourself. I never will.


17



The kindest person in the room may not necessarily be the smartest. But the cruelest person is always the dumbest.


10, 15, 21



Never post a pic to social media that you wouldn't want Grandma to see. NEVER send or ask to receive naked pictures. It's tacky, gross, illegal and not worth it. Even if "everyone does it". It's rude and disrespectful.


11-13, 18



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


16



Every “yes” to something is a “no” to something else. Take your time processing the choices - write in your journal, sweat it out, listen to music, talk to someone you trust, read books from experts. Once you’re clear about what you’re giving up, let it go and don’t look back. (Remember there’s no advice that’s right more than 99% of the time. Always trust your gut. Just remember an impulse isn’t the same thing as a gut check.)


15, 16, 19, 21



Two big things. Control yourself, not others. Learn to react less.


12, 16, 19, 21



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


12



Read or listen to The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest.


17, 21



Never take friendships for granted. Show up. Reach out. Be there when they need you. Friends are gifts; tend to those relationships with love.


15, 20



Ask the question “What are you doing when you feel most like yourself?”


16



Talk about the difference between not feeling comfortable and not feeling safe.


7, 11, 14, 19. 21



Dress to people will listen to you, not look at you. (This is especially true at school and work.)


15, 18, 21



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


8



To avoid miscommunication and misplaced expectations, tell your partner what you need from them. But if what you need is for them to be a different person, that’s not fair to them or to you. Let them go and set about finding the right person.


18, 20



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