The Character Movement

THE YOUTH FRONTIERS BLOG
January 30, 2014 In Advice for Educators, Parenting

10-Second Connection

Every year, I have the chance to get out of the office and lead a handful of Youth Frontiers retreats. Whenever I’m on retreat, teachers and administrators comment on how great it is that I get the kids to talk to me. The reality is that these kids often are not really talking to me – it’s more of a short exchange that I call the “10-second connection.”READ MORE

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January 23, 2014 In Parenting

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

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January 16, 2014 In Leadership, Parenting

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

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January 9, 2014 In Parenting

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

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