As of yesterday, we are within four weeks of Christmas. If that thought stresses you ought just a bit, you’re not alone. An untold number of studies say that the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s are among the most stressful of the year. And while I think that’s true for all kinds of people for all kinds of reasons, I think that’s particularly true for parents. Parents who want to make sure Christmas is great for their kids while also attending to all the usual stuff at work and home and, at this time of the year, trying to please their own siblings and parents as well. And, truth be told, when I say parents, I want to add a...

…and other great misheard song lyrics. After a festive and hectic holiday weekend and on this Cyber Monday – how did we ever come up with names like this for the days of our lives? – it seemed a little humor was in order. The History of Misheard Lyrics, Opus No. 13, comes from Collective Cadenza, a group of recent graduates of Julliard who are more than willing to use their classical training to lighten our mood and invite us to laugh at our culture and ourselves. I haven’t found a video on misheard hymn lines yet, but I’m sure there’s one out there. Or maybe we should all share our favorites and make one....

It’s finally happened: Black Friday isn’t on Friday anymore, but starts Thursday night. (Actually, a couple retailers experimented with this a year or two ago, but now it’s gone more or less mainstream.) Despite employee protests, the critical commentary of cultural pundits, and the outrage of religious leaders, retailers say they are merely responding to customer demand. And they’re probably right…sort of. I’m not honestly sure how many people came away from last year’s spending frenzy actually wishing stores opened even earlier. But I do think that we have been lured into thinking 1) that there are few things more important...

I have a confession to make: I started listening to Christmas Carols in earnest two weeks ago. I know I’m not supposed to. I mean, I know that I should wait at least until Advent. (Actually, we’re often told that we should wait until Christmas itself to sing Christmas carols and should content ourselves with Advent songs until then. That’s a debate I’ve entered into before and something, quite frankly, about which I have some strong feelings. 🙂 ) So there’s no way around it: I know I shouldn’t be listening to Christmas music yet. But here’s the thing: listening to Christmas music makes me happy. I actually listen to it...

Are we too concerned about safety when it comes to our kids? That may seem like a crazy question. But let me rephrase it: have we protected our kids too much? Putting the question that way gives us more to think about. Because although it’s hard for us to admit, kids actually need struggle. They need to learn by making mistakes. They need to develop the grit to overcome disappointment and failure. Why? Because life is hard, filled with challenging endeavors, and will inevitably bring disappointment and failure, and if we don’t learn the skills to manage these things as children, we’re likely to have great difficulty in adulthood. In a...