Dear Son, Today I got in a big power struggle with O. over leaving the park in a timely fashion. We were throwing a foam chuck glider around for over an hour, and mostly having fun. But when it came time to go home, I was met with dozens of diversions, excuses, unreasonable requests, and, […]
Tag: Learning
Trade-Offs
Dear Son, Life is a balancing act. However much some ideologues might promise it to us, we cannot have everything we want. When we choose one path, another path is lost to us. This is why it is important to have good critical thinking skills, strong values, good character, and a powerful code of ethics. […]
Pets
Dear Son, Your mother and I both love cats. At the moment we have two of them, who will be as much your pets as ours when you are little, Comet and Isis. They are loving, playful cats with not a mean bone in either of their bodies, although Comet makes up for the lack […]
Up Early
Dear Son, So today might well be the day! I’m up early this morning for a business call to Sweden that didn’t actually happen, and imagining what life is going to be like after you’re born. Very different, I suspect! Today, a lot of people are skipping parenthood. They would rather keep chasing their own […]
Over the 100 Mark!
Dear Son, My last letter, “That’s Offensive!” marked my 100th letter to you. This has been quite a journey of self-exploration for me. I have been asking myself certain questions constantly: “How can I help my son become a good man?” “Which books can I share and would love to be able to talk to […]
Why All the Relationship and Empathy Jazz?
Dear Son, I bet you are wondering, at least a little, why so many of my letters are about relationships, friendship, empathy, and choosing the company that you keep. The reason is pretty simple: it is what will help you the most in being happy and successful as an adult. Intelligence can take you a […]
A Few Manly Skills
Dear Son, There are a few little things that every Man ought to know how to do. Little things that I know I am going to love teaching you: To whittle. To catch a fish. To clean and dress a wound. To barbecue a steak. To shave with an actual razor. To fix a power […]
Fatherhood Transforms a Man
Dear Son, Your mother and I went to our first birthing clss last night in preparation for your arrival. We are getting pretty excited to meet you these days. I don’t think that people can really understand just how amazingly a baby can change their lives and their minds. You aren’t even here yet, and […]
Marketplaces keep us Safe from Totalitarianism
Dear Son, Right now there are a lot of people out there who believe that they know what is best for you. They believe they know what ideas you ought to be exposed to, what kind of speech you should be allowed to hear, what kind of characters you should be allowed to play in […]
Higher Education
Dear Son, I have no idea what to tell you about getting a good education, Son. I am not sure anyone has a very good picture of what’s really going on. When I was a teenager, there was a big push for as many people as possible to get a college or University education. Guidance […]