Raising Children

A researcher at the University of New Hampshire just isolated the "inability to do housework or hands-on childcare" gene in men.

Parenting used to be simpler. Sure, there have always been emotional struggles and family crises, but the day-to-day logistics of life were quite clear.

Children come into this world only partially hardwired by nature, nurture does the rest. Each tiny interaction between parent and child actually lays down the neural networks that help us to experience and regulate our emotions.

An emerging body of scientific knowledge links nature time to longer attention spans, better cognitive functioning, reduction of stress, and strengthened family bonds.

The mere fact that I'd let my son out of my sight made me seem nuts to more than a few people, who wondered why didn't I follow him, or wait until he was 34 and balding before I let him go out on his own.

What kind of culture continues to encourage the level of risk taking seen in these young men, continually, all over the country?

Since every person on earth is unique, my philosophy is that parents must be ready for their children to have interests and talents in areas that may come as a complete surprise.

Being kidnapped, held hostage, and and forced to rob a bank I while my daughter was tapped with explosives left us both inevitably altered. Sharing this journey while reaching out to help others has become a calling on my life I cannot ignore.

The current culture of parenting may prevent children from experiencing just enough hard knocks to train them in weathering the stormy transition from living at home to living independently.

Being punished in my home did not involve "time out." When my brother and I behaved badly, my father would threaten to change our names. He even went so far as to create fake paperwork.