We have 936 weeks with our children. Time is short, yet we as parents of today’s society are throwing away 171 weeks of our children’s lives. Redeem that time with these 6 questions.

As a child, many of my evenings were steeped in fables and magical tales. I don’t remember the journey of the mystical creatures. I can’t recollect the voices they spoke in, although I know they were many–and that they captivated me.

What I do recall, with vivid clarity, is my father.

Rather than luxury, give your child the gift of responsibility– a gift that will last them a lifetime! Three surprising insights we gleaned from giving our 1-year-old chores.

Don’t find yourself on December 31st, the tree a little droopy and the eggnog in the fridge expired, wondering just what your Christmas was all about.
Change it all this year with a simple Promise, Plan, and Plea.

It began in the cabin of that ship, with the man smoothing his fingers along the grain of the wooden frame, gazing at his family. It began when I was a child, my stocking feet planted firmly on the wooden grain flooring we installed as a family the week we bought our home.

Into my hand was placed a mason jar full of pennies. A heavy mason jar full of pennies. A mason jar heavy with the weight of exactly 936 shiny copper pennies. My arms dropped a bit as I took the full weight of the jar between my hands.

$9.36 to forever change how I will parent my children.