Stories for Dads and Moms who Need a Laugh

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." - Henry David Thoreau "The Unschooler's Educational Dictionary" School. We had to deal with it when we were younger. Some of us are still going to school while some of us are struggling with school in a different way. If you are trying to get your cherub out of the door in time, then you know what I'm talking about. We Want our Children to Succeed Daddies and Mommies want their children to do well in life. The foundation for doing well starts in school. It's where we learn the basic building blocks that will form the foundation on which we will build our life and use the means with which we will support our families. A lot of people will go through the traditional means of tradition. This means starting at kindergarten and going on through high school. From there, you will go to a college or university and earn a degree. S...

Life is busy. Dads and Moms know that. Our days are filled with errands, chores, pick-ups, and drop-offs. As my dad likes to say: We got things to do, people to see, and places to go.  Sometimes, when we are in the middle of our running around, we have to deal with the Beautiful People.  Who are the Beautiful People? You and I understand that there is a certain way of doing things. Common courtesy dictates that we do these things because it makes easier for everyone, and other people do these things because it will makes things easier for us.  But there are some people who don’t need to do these things because they are better than other people. I call them the Beautiful People. These are the people who leave their shopping cart in the middle of the aisle to select only the finest of products. They’re the people who leave a plate or a tray on the table when they leave, or can’t push their chair in so there’s a clear path for others to take to their seat. They don’t need to...

Life is busy. Every daddy and mommy knows that. It's not always easy staying on top of things, and if it looks like you are on top of things, something will come along and dash those carefully laid plans. There are times when we want to scream. There are times when we want to cry. Unfortunately, we need to just pick up the pieces and move on. Life moves fast, and we don't always have the time to sit and mope, but there are other reasons to get back up and try again. When something doesn't go right, we need to recognize that things won't always work out for us. In life, there is no easy option. There may be "easier" options, but we always have to find our own way through the trouble, the problem, the mess. The story starts on a beach, which is a great way to start this book. You hear a lot about meditation, yoga, centering, and ways to calm yourself down. Parents are always trying to get our children to calm down. There are a lot of issues that kids face today....

It hasn't been the best of months for my family. In just a few weeks, we have said goodbye to two members of our clan. On of these relatives was an older person, the other wasn't so old, and that made it harder to say goodbye. "C" was young and healthy. It was a shock when we learned they were diagnosed with cancer. It was a difficult journey for her and her immediate family. My own family did all we could to for them and their family. The doctors did all they could do, but, unfortunately, it wasn't enough. We all gathered to say goodbye to them. It was comforting to see the long line of people who waited to say goodbye to them and offer condolences. I was amazed at the number of people who had been touched by "C" during their short life. It obviously wasn't easy for their family. "C" had passed close to Easter. There is never a good time to say good bye to a loved one, but doing it close to a holiday makes it especially difficult. Life goe...

Mother's Day is less than a month away. Some families have gifts or a nice, relaxing morning planned. Some have those gifts already bought, some have yet to buy them, and some aren't even sure what to buy Mom. Of course the gift is usually accompanied with a card and flowers, but what if flowers were the gift? What if instead of a standard bouquet of flowers, Mom got something that could not only last longer than a bouquet of flowers? Imagine surprising Mom with something that could last an entire growing season! photo: gardenmediagroup.com   The Garden Media Group , located in Pennsylvania's Chester County, is helping people figure out the perfect gift for Mom this year. It's never easy figuring out the right gift, but as GMG President Katie Dubow says, "I know the best gifts aren't things - they're experiences." Katie is hoping this year, families will spend more time outside together and less time with screens. "Hands-on activities help kids c...