Ryan just got back from Winco. He was grocery shopping. For me. My entire weekly list of items. For over a year, Ryan has asked me if he could do the grocery shopping. He knows it’s way down on my list below scrub the toilet and clean the hair out of the sink. But for some reason, I thought it would be more of a hassle having him do it than me just going and getting it over with. I…
I was in Walmart the other day, lost. I don’t usually shop at Super-Sized Walmart, but I was on that side of town and, being all about efficiency, it made sense. But I’m so used to my dinky Walmart, that I was getting a little overwhelmed with all my aisle choices. I decided to step out in the “middle” and survey my surroundings. That’s when my ears pricked up as I overheard a mom say to her 6-year old-ish daughter…
Trust…the ultimate confidence builder in kids. It requires that we let go and shift control into their hands, but the result is the development of self-esteem, competency, and independence. Giving your 3-year old a sponge so that she can help wipe up the kitchen table, and then allowing her to do the task according to her abilities, lets her know that you think she is capable. Similarly, having your teen print the What to Bring to Summer Camp list and…
A recent study from Accenture found that the easiest way to get a raise or a promotion was to ask for one. Yup, 85% of those surveyed who said they had asked for a raise actually got something. It reminded me of Nathan’s recent tutoring negotiation. He was recommended, by one of his old math teachers, to the mom of a seventh grader who needed help in algebra. Her first email to Nathan did not mention the fee she was…
Nathan made an interesting comment recently at the dinner table. “I love Sunday evenings. Not because there’s school the next day but because I get two days off from work.” Nathan works at In and Out Burgers. It’s a great first job for a teenager. The hours are pretty accommodating to his school schedule and he gets to work with other kids his age. And then there’s the paycheck…and, apparently, the days off. But this first job has taught Nathan…