Discipline, Morals, and Ethics
Helpful, Not Useful
I recently had a brief exchange with Joel (7) that provided an opportunity to talk about dignity (and hint at the personalistic norm). Joel had done some favor for me, and I had thanked him. The rest of the exchange went as follows. Joel: “I like being useful!” Me: “Helpful, not useful.” Joel: “Huh?” Me: … Continue reading
Refugees and Samaritans
Tonight’s bedtime prayers with the kids had a good “teachable moment”. I prayed that the refugee situation would end well, with all of the displaced and frightened people having their needs met. My inquisitive kids asked what refugees are, and I explained in simple terms that didn’t involve discussing terrorism, Syrian politics, or Islamic extremism. … Continue reading
Forgiveness
Recently, my oldest child did something that shocked and moved me. I had walked into the living room and found something out of place that my kids had no permission to touch. Alex (nearly 7) was standing there when I discovered the misdeed. I got disproportionately angry, probably because of a lot of recent failures … Continue reading
The Art of War and Parenting
Miss me? Moving really upends your life, doesn’t it? Anyhow, I’ve thought about writing a new post a thousand times, and every time the thought came I’d be overwhelmed with feelings of futility and writer’s block. I finally decided I needed to write something – anything. So… While I was unpacking from the move, I came … Continue reading
Parenting Advice from St. Philip Neri
While packing to move (We bought a house! Yay!), I found my copy of “If God Be With Us: The Maxims of St. Philip Neri“. As I flipped through it, skimming through the daily bits of wisdom, I noticed a few that could be applied to parenting. Granted, the few recorded statements of Neri (of … Continue reading
