A Father Son Surfing Haiku
Smiles on the water. Sticky wetsuit trauma over. Waves have energy. – A haiku inspired by the hours of rocking waves (struggling, popping, falling, surfing, learning) that the Oldest Boy and I spent on Canada’s West Coast.
A Father Son Nature Haiku
“The Mango Tree” So many mangos. In the wind it waves hello to the mountains below. – A haiku co-created by my youngest son and I (we went on to write, like, seven more haikus and all I can say…
Learning Styles Do Not Exist
Learning styles do not exist. Given that many educators and students have long believed in the concept of learning styles, this probably feels like a bold statement. The idea that individuals have fixed preferences for how they absorb information –…
Six Lessons About Being Cool from Pete the Cat
Having two kids under four means I have the privilege of reading Pete the Cat stories by literary genius James Dean. My wife appreciates that the characters are always kind to each other and that each story ends with a…
Five Character Building Insights from Family Camping
My family spent last week camping in a provincial park on Vancouver Island. There were 13 of us spread over three campsites. Through kid-induced-drama and midnight-pee-breaks to early morning conversations and mass-feedings, the experience taught all of us new skills….
Five Management Lessons from Coaching Youth Soccer
For the last few months I’ve been coaching my oldest son’s soccer team. He’s five years old and his teammates are around the same age. As you can imagine, the experience combines adorableness and fun with chaos and frustration. Weirdly…
Three Ways the 5AM Club is Making Me a Better Parent
Waking up early has long been a tenet of leadership guru Robin Sharma. In his recent book, The 5AM Club, he outlines tactics for making mornings active, focused and super productive – “own your morning, elevate your life” is a…
Three Coping Skills I Learned from a Five-Year-Old
A few weeks ago, my oldest kid started soccer. He’s five, like most of his teammates, and the experience is as adorable and hilarious as you’d expect. Despite all this delight, my wife and I screwed up is very first…
What Daycare Transitions have taught me about Adaptability
September is a month of transition for many families. For the Horns, going back to school has seen our youngest member move from the Infant Room to the Toddler Room at his daycare. This is huge news with big changes….
Three Ways to Futureproof Our Kids
The future is exciting and also makes me nervous. I guess you could say that I’m nervited about the years ahead and how to prepare my kids for what’s coming. Figuring out how to get them ready for a Terminator-Matrix-Looper-Hunger-Games…