We live in a world where everyone voluntarily carries a powerful tracking device with us everywhere we go. Most of us wouldn’t dream of giving it up. We love the fact that “getting lost” has become a thing of the past. We enjoy being able to tag our location in travel photos with a single tap. We’ve gotten used to the luxury of taking an Uber any time of the day or night. There’s no doubt location tracking has incredible benefits. But in the realm of parenting it can also create tension, resentment, depression, and some downright nasty arguments. Teenagers can feel controlled, spied on and … [Read more...]
Saving for College: Educate Yourself on These 3 Main Methods
Every parent wants the best for their kids, and as a financial planner that leads to a lot of my clients asking about the best way to start saving for college. My first piece of advice is always to make sure you've built a solid financial foundation for yourself first, including getting your retirement savings on track. It's the whole “oxygen mask on the plane” philosophy. You have to stabilize yourself before you can truly help your kids. But if you've already done that and you're able to put some extra money away toward saving for college, what's the best way to get started? Three … [Read more...]
Dreams Need to Stay Alive for Parents as Well as Their Children
My wife approves of my keeping one mistress. She happily walks in on me as I’m cozying up with an Abraham Lincoln biography, a Wall Street Journal op-ed page or the latest edition of Time magazine. If she’s out of town, I’m never alone long. I'll quickly get intimate with Charles Krauthammer, Neil deGrasse Tyson or an elegantly stated case against the anti-fossil fuel argument. But only one at a time: I don’t have the stamina I used to. These late-night visits to the native English language are my after-hours escape and salvation. You see, I’m an English-language copywriter living in … [Read more...]
Role Model of Working Dad is Attentive, Flexible, Successful
By the time I decided to become a father, I knew the kind of dad I wanted to be. One who was present. One who there to see my daughter grow. A dad who changed diapers, took her to playgroups, did school runs, helped out in class, and was generally immersed in family life. I was lucky enough to live this as a stay-at-home dad for five years, before returning to work. I don’t know where this idea of being this kind of dad came from. It certainly wasn’t from my own father, who was far from being present, and certain wasn't my role model. I still maintain that seeing the movie Mr. Mom at a … [Read more...]
Helicopter Parent’s Memo About Those Children You Will Be Hosting
Postmark: Jerusalem, Israel; August 2 Dear Sheila, How’s Chi-Town? The girls can’t wait to spend a whole two weeks with you. And I can't wait to receive the hourly updates about all they’ll be seeing and doing during their upcoming adventure. Danielle and I also look forward to our daughters returning to our home in Israel with Chicago accents and attitudes. Jerusalem is such a mad, mad mix of people, languages and backgrounds. Two little girls jabbering about "Da Bears," drinking "pop" (instead of "Coke") and riding ‘The L" will add a bit more spice to the city’s delightful stew of … [Read more...]
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