Is It Really All About Money?

Just read some news online, take a look at the newspaper, or turn on the TV. It certainly looks like it’s all about money these days.

And there’s nothing wrong with using that preoccupation to teach your sons a few lessons about life. When you boil today’s financial problems down to the bottom line, two words surface – greed and discontent.

We see large-scale greed in the unwise, risky lending practices of many mortgage lenders these days. It wasn’t about selling a necessary, quality product to the consumer; it was about getting customers to refinance at sky-high rates or about looking the other way when unqualified candidates applied for a mortgage.

And discontent? That’s what made individuals susceptible to those unfair lending practices. We had to have more. A bigger house, money for a trip, a car, a new kitchen.

The lesson for our sons?

Be content with what you have. It’s really not all about money.

Teach contentment to your sons by modeling it yourself. Take a look around, and you’ll easily see how blessed you really are. Remind yourself of that. Be thankful. Show gratitude for the small things, in family prayer and in daily conversation. We consider big houses and fancy cars and a pool in the backyard the big things. In reality, what we call the small things are the important things – family, faith, friends and loved ones.

Don’t skirt the issue of the economy with your sons, but don’t dwell on it. Teach them to be grateful for what they have. There’s much more to life!

For the love of boys,
Laura

Lessons Learned from Basketball

“Oh, no,” I can see Mom saying, with a shake of her head. “I’ve heard more about basketball in the last seven days than I ever wanted to know! And you’re telling me I need to talk basketball with my boys?”

Oh, yes – there are lessons even there. If your boys are there already, Mom, half your battle is won. Step onto their territory and mine the lessons from it!

And this week’s lesson?

It’s not over till it’s over. Hang in there. Persevere.

Surely you’ve heard about the six-overtime game between Syracuse and University of Connecticut. The Syracuse Orange beat UConn 127-117 in a game that lasted three hours and forty-six minutes. Only one other college basketball game went longer – when Cincinnati beat Bradley in a seven-overtime match in 1981. And just about twenty-four hours after their six-overtime win, Syracuse found the energy to win yet another overtime game against West Virginia. These boys just don’t give up!

Granted, if you're following March Madness closely, you'll know that Syracuse did fall to Louisville. But many are pinning their hopes on Louisville to advance all the way, so the Syracuse team met extremely tough opposition head-on. And even the loss to Louisville can't negate their awe-inspiring six-overtime win. The team's perseverance will be part of that classic tale for years to come.

When you read accounts of the game, words like heart and will and persistence surface. So use that teachable moment to remind your boys to do whatever they do with heart and will and persistence. Because it’s not over till it’s over. In the midst of adversity, hang in there, boys. Persevere.

For the love of boys,
Laura

Headlines That Won't Go Away

Here are some headlines that just won’t go away:

More jobs lost
Dow continues to drop

Maybe it’s even happening in your home. How to teach our sons through this tough time? Some lessons in today’s news bring an element of hope and help us see the positive side of change. Here’s one such valuable lesson:

When things change, be flexible.

Stories of those who are training for a new field are everywhere today. I just saw a news report of a realtor who has returned to her first job as a dental hygienist. Her earlier training paid off when she decided to make a job change to help her family. Maybe someday she’ll return to real estate, but right now, she feels blessed to have a job and an opportunity to help others.

Things change for our sons every day; childhood and especially adolescence can be rocky times. Friends move or form new alliances, boys get cut from the team, a sibling goes to college or just begins to grow up, leaving your boy behind. If we can teach our sons to be flexible, they’ll adjust to change much more easily. Looking for the up side, the blessing, reminds us to be thankful and sets our priorities on the right road.

So, in times like these, make it your mantra and teach it to your sons:
When things change, be flexible.

For the love of boys,
Laura