Recent Posts
"How do you do it?" 5 Ways to be Patient, Calm, and Improve Your Relationship with Your Children
Do you feel your kids are stressing you out? Here are tried-and-true tips for building up calmness and cooperation.
Cooperation without Coercion: How to Motivate Children (5 Things to Try)
What do you do when your strong-willed child won't cooperate? Children love cooperating... but they also love showing their independence. Here are 5 things to try.
Book Review: The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler
We're accustomed to working on our jobs, our marriages, and so much else. What about our families? This book explains how families can be happier, healthier, and flourish together.
Book review: The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Children More Control Over Their Lives by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson
Why responsibility and a sense of control are critical for children.
Book review: How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough
Why do some people succeed and others fail? This book argues that it's not just how you're born. Instead, the key is noncognitive skills—and the good news is, you can practice and improve them.
Why Watching My Parents Cook Means I Can't Share Soup Recipe—And How I'm Encouraging My Kids to Cook Too
Growing up, I spent many hours swiveling a barstool at the kitchen counter, watching my parents cook. Here's what I learned—and how I'm setting up my kitchen to encourage my kids to learn the same.
Start of the Homeschool School Year with Three Children (Fall 2021)
Our kids are young still, but pretty much all of daily life counts as homeschooling. Here's what we have planned this year: books, music, crafts, math, and more!
Important But Not Urgent: How I Manage Daily Incremental Routines
Before I had kids, I had a regular morning routine. Now? Mornings don't proceed the same way twice. Here's how I make a routine work anyway and ensure I don't leave important tasks behind.
How to Involve Kids in Modern Work
My 4-year-old son wants to help me work, but I write software—so how do I involve him? If I did physical labor or owned a farm, it'd be easy. But I sit at a keyboard. Here's what I'm trying.
How I Wrote 50,000 Words in Less Than Six Months (As a Parent Without Childcare!)
I write a lot—so how do I hit 50k words while also caring for my young children? Here's my secret. It hinges on one plain fact: The job of your first draft is to exist.
My Experience Writing Morning Pages As a Parent With Young Children
Julia Cameron initiated Morning Pages as a creative practice. In theory, it's easy to squeeze into your morning and leads to profound changes. In practice? Read on.
Backyard Gardening, Year 3: Spring Planning, Planting, and Pests
Starting tomatoes, planting herbs, and preparing for a season of fresh vegetables! But how do we deal with the neighbor's new bunnies?
How Curiosity Helps Children Build a Habit of Attention
Want your children to engage deeply with the world? Here's how to help them build a habit of deep attention and keep their curiosity intact.
Our Children's Future: Eight Current Trends in America to Prepare For
What will the world be like in two decades? I analyze current trends in America and discuss how I can prepare now to help my children flourish.
Gardening, Year 2: What I Improved and How I Planned, Planted, and Harvested My 200-square-foot Garden
Could I replicate year 1's magnificant tomato harvest? Here's what I planned, how it went, and what I learned.
Gardening, Year 1: How I Planned, Planted, and Harvested a 200-square-foot Garden and What I Learned
I used the square foot gardening method to grow flowers, herbs, and tomatoes. I was most excited about tomatoes. If I grew some, the garden would be a success!
The Best Reason to Have Children
It amazes me that strangers feel comfortable saying to parents 'You sure have your hands full!' 'Why so many kids?' 'Are you expecting another one?' Uh ... it's okay to want and love children!
Why Outdoor Time Is Important For Kids
We spent a lot of time outdoors. Being in nature makes everyone happier—and allows our kids to have more freedom and independence.
How to Afford Homeschooling and Other Alternative Education For Kids on a Budget
Want to get your kids out of public schools, but afraid of the costs? Here are some tips on how to afford your kids' educational journey.
Only a Parent Can Understand Love
I thought I knew what love was. Then I had a son and it changed everything. I felt love for the first time, and it was that day that I really grew up and became a man.
From Homeschooling to College
After my TEDx talk, several people asked me about my experience being homeschooling. What did I think about getting into college as a homeschooled student? Here's my reply.
Coercive Schooling is Pervasive
When giving a TEDx talk, I was stuck by how inundated one organizer was in the coercive schooling system. Here are some examples—and how we can change minds about learning.
Kids Can't Be Taught, But They Love to Learn
I gave my first TEDx talk this year. It was the first time I'd been on a stage in quite some time. I'd spent hours memorizing my talk... would it go well?