The average height for a sixth grader is around 4’10”. The average height for a man is 5’9”. Therefore, if you are a dad of a sixth grader, then you are probably 23% taller than your kid. For perspective, it would be like your boss...
One of my pet peeves is hearing well-meaning people warn freshly engaged couples that "happiness in marriage takes a lot of hard work.” Who got married for that? Who came in and said, “Oh, Mom and Dad, I’ve met the most amazing woman in the...
I recently asked on social media, “Growing up, what were you taught about men and emotions?” My feed was full of answers like: • “Taught? About emotions? What?”• “If you don’t stop crying, I’m going to give you something to cry about.”• “Take that look off...
Sociologist Linda Waite from the University of Chicago studied 550 adults from a national database. Sixty-four percent of those who said they were unhappy in their marriages but stayed together reported they were happy five years later, while 50% of those who divorced or separated...
One of my all-time favorite movies is The Sandlot. Young Scott Smalls moves to a new neighborhood. His mom encourages him to get out, make friends, and even “get into a little trouble.” The movie is based on Scotty and his friends’ adventures on and...
As someone who works with married couples, I hate this type of message from someone I haven’t heard from in a while: “Hey, I was wondering if you would have time for a call, coffee, or lunch.” Translation, 99% of the time: “My marriage has...
On my first scuba dive, we were instructed to go down the anchor rope and wait at the bottom. The instructor said to me, “You go first; you aren’t scared.” He was right. I was 18 and wasn’t smart enough to be scared, because what...
At first, you may think my dad made one of the biggest parenting mistakes. Thinking it was safer than a motorcycle, he bought me a three-wheel ATV when I was 12. The Consumer Product Safety Commission eventually banned these tricycles of terror due to countless...
I wish you could meet my friend Mark. He has about 10 years on me, but I want to be him when I grow up. Mark’s great for many reasons, but I think the thing that sticks out the most is that everyone else comes...
When my son Chapman was a baby, I would bring him on to stage as a speaking prop. Don’t judge! As I sat on a stool, I would sit him in my lap and sing one verse of “Build Me Up Buttercup” while moving his...