How we praise our kids; Workout Manifesto; on attention
Today:
- Dad wisdom: How we praise our kids
- Workout manifesto: Good enough for right now > Better later
- Book recommendations
- Quote: On attention
- Dad Joke
How we praise our kids
My high school years were part of the “everyone is a winner” phase of public education. It was an earnest but ham-fisted attempt to respond to the emerging research on childhood self-esteem. The target remains highly important—even if we fumbled our throw at it.
Real self-esteem is, of course, earned—and pressure-treated—over time. New-school parenting understands this much more clearly and focuses on process instead of outcome. We ask questions about our kids’ decisions, offer specific, descriptive praise in the moment, and applaud their grit in general. Sometimes, I wonder, though, if our kids would sometimes benefit from a lighter touch from us.
These thoughts come from our most recent Dad Strength call.
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As a quick addendum, of all of the ways we mishandle motivation, participant trophies are among the least problematic. You can learn more in this episode.
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As a quick addendum, of all of the ways we mishandle motivation, participant trophies are among the least problematic. You can learn more in this episode.
The Workout Manifesto: Good enough for right now > Better later
When it comes to exercising, only a handful of things matter and life is too short to mess around with the rest. So, I have decided to put together a workout manifesto of sorts. This limited series will cover the essential concepts behind exercise—one quick read at a time.
Book recommendations
About the external forces, intentional and otherwise, interfering with our ability to focus
A way for your kids to listen to media without dropping them into the full device ecosystem. Gen X bonus vibes for a tactile media playing experience
Standup from a dad’s perspective
Quote:
“In fact, the world is complex. To reflect that honestly, you usually need to focus on one thing for a significant amount of time, and you need space to speak at length. Very few things worth saying can be explained in 280 characters.”
—Johann Hari
Dad joke
What’s a giraffe’s favourite fruit?
Neck-ta-rines
