“No left foot!” I screamed as the minivan slammed to a stop. Deep breath, I told myself, and faced my son. Yosef’s bright, toothy smile kept hidden the fear and uncertainty evidenced by his death-grip on the minivan’s steering wheel. “Sorry for yelling, man. I’m just a bit nervous – like you,” I chuckled and continued. “Let’s start from the beginning before we go any farther.” Only a few days before this abrupt stop in a parking lot of a local church, Yosef had passed his written driving exam and, at least by local standards, was ready to get behind the wheel. In this moment, and … [Read more...]
About Tobin Walsh
Quitting Team Not an Option Because Participation is More Valuable
I’ve seen this before – a half-assed tryout, making the track team and, suddenly, floating the idea wanting to quit before the second practice. Yes, my seventh grader, Lynden, hopes that his subtle hints about leaving the school track team will garner my support to do so. He must not know I value the act of participating more than he does. “Dad, track is boring,” he mentioned in passing the morning after tryouts. I said nothing and picked him up from practice later that day. That evening, on the van ride home, Lynden escalated the quitting chatter, “With everything else going on, … [Read more...]
Generation Nerd: Does Social Ineptitude Matter for our Kids?
You know Chad. Every business in America has one. Chad is the nice-looking, smiley, firm-hand-shaking, future C-level executive-to-be at your office. Chad is smart, but more than that, he has that “it” factor that propels him to the front of any promotion process. When you think about Chad, he seems more accomplished than pragmatically productive. I am no Chad. I tried but have fallen short. I’m OK with it, mostly because after my wife and I started having kids, I realized I could set out to provide some lucky corporation a future Chad of my making. Yes, I’d raise my kids to be witty, … [Read more...]
Will Santa Get COVID? An Exercise in Parental Fact Versus Fiction
So much of my parenting style centers on a delicate balance of fact versus fiction when explaining concepts, ideas, thoughts, feelings – just about anything – to my children. Example 1: “Dad, why is Mommy sad?” Fact: Daddy was a big jerk to Mommy after she had a tough day at the office. Fiction: “Mommy’s not sad, sweetie, just tired today.” Example 2: “Dad, why is my teacher so mean?” Fact: Ms. Smith is a lonely, unhappy soul whose only friends are her 12 cats. Fiction: “Ms. Smith isn’t mean. Like her or not, she’s the boss in class so you must figure out how to work with … [Read more...]
Happiness or Success? We Must Help Kids Choose for Themselves
A few weeks ago, my 14-year-old son, Yosef, had a decision to make. Would his fall sport of choice be football or cross country? While insignificant compared to the major world issues engulfing the news each night, this choice was important to him. Yosef was entering a new high school where roster spots on any other athletic team would be nearly impossible to come by. As the season drew nearer, my wife and I detected Yosef’s self-induced pressure to make a fall sports pick was mounting. My son understood his mother and I would support any decision. I’m sure my son also understood his … [Read more...]
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