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January 23, 2014

Raising a Kind Daughter

A friend of mine recently sent me the link to a blog post that resonated with me. It was written by Kari Kampakis, an author and newspaper columnist in Alabama. Her blog focuses on her family life and the art of raising four daughters. In a recent post on the 10 common mistakes parents make, Kampakis wrote that the number one mistake was underestimating character. “Character, moral fiber, an inner compass… these things lay the foundation for a happy, healthy future.” Like the rest of us, she recognizes the importance of trying to help her kids get an “A” in life.READ MORE

January 16, 2014

Little Acts of Service

“One, two, three, four…” That’s the sound of my daughter, Tess, quietly counting buttons. When she comes into Youth Frontiers’ office, I try to find little ways for her to help out. It’s a way to keep her mind occupied and it gives her a feeling of service. Most of the time, this means the somewhat monotonous task of counting buttons. READ MORE

January 9, 2014

A Call to Retreat

Whenever I’m speaking to parents, corporate leaders or educators, the first thing I do is acknowledge how the audience (whether it’s three people or 300) has probably made some kind of extra effort to gather together. No doubt all of them rushed to work that morning, rushed through the meetings of the day or rushed through dinner to get to the event on time. So the first thing out of my mouth is, “Thanks for being here. No need to rush now. It’s okay for us to slow down this hour.”READ MORE

December 23, 2013

What kind of person do you want to be?

By Joe Cavanaugh, Founder & CEO

We’ll be ringing in the new year in just a couple days and I’ve heard countless people talking about making New Year’s resolutions. I get it – it’s a natural time to reflect on your life and set goals for the future. But according to Forbes Magazine, just eight percent of Americans achieve their New Year’s goals. To avoid being in the eight percent group, we have a “less-annual” approach for goal-setting in our home.READ MORE

December 19, 2013

My Daughter, My Teacher

This blog post was written by Jane Leyden Cavanaugh, School Relations Representative and Joe Cavanaugh’s wife.

When my daughter Tess was born eight years ago, my world predictably shifted. No matter who you are, having a child will change your life and teach you so much about your own strengths and weaknesses.READ MORE

December 13, 2013

Top Wintertime Movies for Family Movie Night

Too often, my week is hectic — running around from here to there. By Friday night, I want and need to be home with Jane and Tess. We have created “Friday movie night” where we make popcorn, sit on the couch and watch a movie together. It’s one of the highlights of my week.

Here in the Midwest, December means cold, dark and snow. Although many of us like to embrace the cold with outdoor activities like ice fishing and skiing, winter is also the perfect time to have your own family movie night. Make some popcorn, grab a blanket and gather on the couch for one of these family-friendly winter flicks compiled and recommended by moms and dads from Youth Frontiers: READ MORE