The successful entrepreneur has averaged four business failures in his lifetime. According to leadership expert John Maxwell, "Failure is the price you pay for success." The key is to fail well... meaning you learn from your mistakes.

It’s no different in fatherhood. Are you a successful failure? Or does your pride in not admitting your shortcomings build a wall between you and your children? The best thing you can do for your kids is say you’re sorry when you need to, and give them some freedom to fail as well. The idea is not to have a perfect family, but a learning family. And that can only start by admitting mistakes.






Warmly,

Mark Brandenburg

Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
mark@eqnow.org
www.markbrandenburg.com
www.eqnow.org ... read more >>

If you're the parent of a teenager, helping them get their first job is one of the first steps toward maturity and personal responsibility. Here are seven ways you can ensure that their job hunt is a rewarding one.

1. First, work with your teen to come up with a list of personal strengths and things they enjoy doing. If they enjoy working with children and animals or love the outdoors, make a note of those items. Any seemingly small and insignificant item can lead to ideas for potential jobs.

2. Take your child's schedule and commitments into consideration. How will your teen get to and from their workplace? What other school activities are they involved with?
Will they have enough time to study, work AND socialize? (Yes parents', socializing is a natural and necessary part of being a teen - you know what they say about all work and no play!) ... read more >>

Even before our children were born Al and I had always wanted to be equal as parents. We were lucky that both of us were home for the first few months of our first daughter's life. Even though I was very clear in my mind that I wanted both of us to be involved and equal - and we knew that I would have to go back to work and he would stay home with her - I found I had to bite my tongue when he did things differently from what I thought was the "right" way. ... read more >>

So you're between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy? A worried and weary parent might imagine the answer to be sex, drugs, and a little rock 'n' roll. Maybe some cash, or at least the car keys.

Turns out the real answer is quite different. Spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question, according to an extensive survey conducted by The Associated Press and MTV. And even better: Nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy. So the answer to the enigmatic question of what makes your children happy? You do.

Don't ever forget it!

Warmly,

Mark Brandenburg

Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
mark@eqnow.org
www.markbrandenburg.com
www.eqnow.org
Phone (+1) 651-766-9976 ... read more >>

Oh those dreaded teenage years. As parents you may experience anxious feelings about the coming years when your children will grow up to be young teens. Those temper storms, stubborn behavior, changes in ways of thinking and so many new and difficult situations to deal with. And above all, you know deep within there will come a day when your daughter will start going out with a boy.

As a parent, acknowledge that everyone does start dating at some point. Don’t forget your past years as a teenager and youth. Dating is both a normal and good activity. ... read more >>

I recently got an email from a reader about the use of cleaning products in the house - YAY, my favourite subject (no, seriously). Don't know about other dads but I keep seeing these ads for all purpose cleaning products in the house that promise to remove 99.99% of all germs. Sounds great, eh? Until you realise that whatever kills 99.99% of all bacteria must be pretty lethal all round. So I'm not sure I prefer my little man to lick a surface with some leftovers from the cleaning product vs picking up the germs that were there naturally. ... read more >>

At the moment I am watching a documentary on Teenage Binge Drinking in the UK, they are saying that the UK is the Binge Drinking capitol of Europe. It looks really bad, the teens in the documentary are insane, or are they just teens???

I have worked in Bars in both New Zealand and Australia, and have been around drunks of all ages, and as sad as it is to witness someone incapacitated by alcohol, I have always been concerned about the rising number of young people out on the streets, with their fake Ids trying to get past the night club door staff. Teenage Binge Drinking is clearly not just a UK problem.

* Do their parents know what they are doing; do they know where they are?

* What will my own children act like... soon?

* What can I do if anything?

* Is it just a part of growing up?

* It may be a part of growing up but there are kids killing themselves with alcohol

So what can I do?

I found a great site with some very useful information about effects of alcohol and more importantly talking to your children about alcohol that is appropriate to their age. ... read more >>

A family snow holiday can mean many things to Australians; it can be a completely foreign concept, an unimagined idea, or a far off dream. For others it’s an alien and daunting prospect, but something they might want to try at least once in a lifetime. For the enthusiast, a trip to the snow can be a regular event; a fun-filled time spent with family or friends, something to give up other things for.

Whatever it means to you, there must be something special about a visit to the snow because around a million Australians visit ski resorts in this country each winter. But what is it about a snow holiday that is so appealing? ... read more >>

A number of years ago, my four-year-old daughter was starting to say our grace before dinner. “Daddy, fold your hands like this!” she shrieked. Everyone at the table was startled by the intensity of her outburst.

But if we consider the world from the standpoint of a four-year-old girl, it may make perfect sense. She wakes up in the morning and isn’t always sure if she’s going to school or not. She’s not quite sure of which clothes she should wear, and she’s not always sure who she’ll be spending time with each day. She’s not all that comfortable with the language yet, so it’s not always easy to get her point across. ... read more >>

by Bruce Linton, Ph.D.

In the third month of fatherhood you begin to hope for a "routine" to be established for your baby. But that's not always the case! It doesn't mean anything is "wrong" with your baby or that you and your wife are not doing things right. Babies take a long time to adjust to being in the outside world. Remember for nine months your baby's every need was met on demand. Eating, sleeping, all bodily functions were met immediately and without any effort while inside the womb. Over the last two months your baby has been learning how to communicate their needs to you. Needs they don't even understand themselves. ... read more >>