Tag: kids

  • The Upside of Boredom

    “I’m bored.”  Paul, age 8, says this roughly every 30 seconds. It’s not that he’s spoiled or overly entertained or more addicted to the internet than his parents. It’s that he’s 8 and 8 year olds bug their parents by saying they are bored even when they aren’t. (Paul said he was bored during the…

  • Let them roar(ish)

    We need to allow our kids to learn to roar. At eight and ten years old our oldest are flourishing in the elementary years. Half of their existence is in the pretend world of video games, fantasy books, and made-up games in the backyard. The other half is the real world where they help with…

  • We need non-digital adventure

    A couple weekends ago I told Megan and Paul to get in the car, we were going on a secret adventure. Anticipation in the car was high. Were we going for ice cream? Was dad taking us to a movie? Were we going to buy new video games? All were possibilities. But none were realities.…

  • Kid’s Attention Valued at $1.12 Trillion Annually

    My kids can tell me about all the latest Disney movies. And they can rattle off the specs of just about every toy that they want. Worse yet? They are armed with lines that tell me all about why buying that toy is good for them and the deal they will get if they buy…

  • Daddy, if you love me…

    I love spending solo time with my kids. And I really want them to enjoy spending time with me. We spend lots of time doing stuff together as a family, but I think there’s something special about the ratio being 1:1 (or 1:2) instead of 5:2. At least once per month I try to take…

  • Happy Father’s Day from the Kids

  • When your kids go adrift

    For those who don’t know what drifting is… here’s a video. For those who have ever watched a kid go adrift in his life– You know the parents typically just sit there with the camera running rather than doing anything.

  • Like Father, Like Daughter

    Kristen found this in Megan’s room the other day. Megan loves to draw and create things. Her origami creations are worthy of an Etsy shop. When we turned over the last page and saw her marketing twist about going to MeganMcLane.com… we just roared with laughter. She truly is her father’s child.

  • Introducing lent to the kids

    Introducing lent to the kids

    Kristen and I decided to introduce lent to our church hating, Awana loving kids. Our kids aren’t game for anything. I get jealous when I go to my friends house and their kids would walk across the desert for a glass of water just because mom or dad said it’d be fun and meaningful. My…

  • You never stop being a youth pastor…

    This was Sunday, early evening, at La Jolla Shores. (The most kid-friendly beach in San Diego, one of the best beaches in California.) There were families and young children everywhere. Lisa (former youth group student of mine and retired RA from Grace College) couldn’t resist the cameo. She tried, it was too awesome. My favorite…