Today’s my 39th birthday. I had a wonderful day hanging out with my wife, the kids and the neighbors. And tomorrow my family’s coming by to spend the day.
I also don’t normally blog on the weekends, but I just found a blog that I just have to share. Via Steve Lacey who I found through an extremely unlikely set of coincidences, I discovered Gretchin Rubin. Steve linked to a post on her blog titled Tips for being a more light-hearted parent.
Wow. What a wonderful collection of advice. Tip #7 is particularly good:
Most messages to kids are negative: “stop,†“don’t,†“no.†So I try to cast my answers as “yes.†“Yes, we’ll go as soon as you’ve finished eating,†not “We’re not leaving until you’ve finished eating.†It’s not easy to remember to do this, but I’m trying.
As I read her tips, and some other entries on her blog (which is a year-long diary of her quest to become happier) I instantly became a fan. This is excellent writing, and great advice. Her portrayal of her family as characters (Big Girl, Little Girl, and Big Man) works incredibly well.
While I’m jealous of people who write so much better than I do, it’s also something to aspire to. Go take a look. You won’t regret it.
