Do you ever feel like you are trapped buying gifts that don't mean anything, for people who won't appreciate them, and won't remember them?  Do you dread the credit card bills that will come in January?  

Even when buying gifts for our kids, the idea of a merry "little" Christmas is altogether a thing of the past.

It doesn't have to be!

In this week's episode, just in time for Christmas, I share with you some thoughts, as well as some ideas, on how you can bring meaning back into your gift giving this year; or next year!

Merry Christmas!

As much as I wish we could, I don't think it is possible to eliminate all the bullies from this world.  This is especially true since the definition of bullying is getting larger all the time!  

I have very little control over the actions of other people.  I can't follow my kids around for their entire lives to protect them from every adversity.  What I can do, is to instill certain values and behaviors in them while they are at home to help them deal with the bad behavior of other people.  

In this second part of our two part series on bullying, we focus less on the bullies, and more on what we as parent can do to protect, and prepare our children to live in a world where people behave badly. I hope it helps.  

Bullying is a problem.  It has existed for a long time, and it is not going to go away.  As parents we are tasked with helping our kids deal with this problem in their lives.

The internet has made the situation worse.  Children with unsupervised access to the internet and social media are experiencing bullying in their very own homes!

What can parents do?  Children are now committing suicide, we are told, as a direct result of cyberbullying.  What is the solution?  

There are no easy answers, but we are going to start talking about it right here on this episode.  

Have you ever wanted to raise your child to block traffic, destroy other people's property, and need therapy when things don't go their way?  Probably not.

In this week's episode, we take a somewhat tongue in cheek approach to raising our kids to be better than that.  We look at things that parents can do, even unintentionally, that promote bad behavior in our children as they grow.  

Can today's politically correct mindset influence how we parent our children?  Are their things we can say or do, in the hopes of following popular teaching, that can actually handicap our children later in life? How can I make sure that I am not falling for the politically correct pressures on me as a parent? 

All this an more in this weeks episode. Don't miss it!

With the Presidential election in full countdown mode, the art of deception is on display.  Why does it seem that the truth doesn't even matter anymore?  It really seems like both candidates are trying to lie their way into office.  

While I can't do anything about that in reality, I can focus on being a truthful individual in my own life.  I can provide an example of honesty and integrity for my wife and children, and those in my sphere of influence.  What about you?  Why bother telling the truth when it doesn't pay?  Let's talk about that...

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In this short Father's Day episode, I wanted to take just a little while and relate to the listeners, some of the most important lessons I learned from my dad.  I hope you enjoy hearing a little bit about the man who was and is instrumental in my life.  My hope is that on this Father's Day you will have similar memories from your Dad.  If that is not the case, then I hope you will commit to being the kind of dad your kids will one day celebrate.

www.howtobeadadtoday.com

In this episode we continue the discussion of mentors. We will look at the benefit to those who are mentored, as well as to those doing the mentoring.  Also in this episode, we will take a look at a recent Huffington Post article regarding supposed communication mistakes parents make with their kids.  For more information go to our website at www.howtobeadadtoday.com

There is a great need for mentors in today's world.  No matter what country your live in, mentoring is an essential part of growing and becoming the person you want to be.

As a Dad, my number one responsibility is to be a mentor in the lives of my children.  But what is a mentor?  Who should be a mentor?  Do I still need a mentor in my own life?  Where can I find a mentor if I want one?  

All these questions and more as we spend the next few episodes tackling this important subject.  

For more on this subject and to find additional articles and resources for Dads, go to howtobeadadtoday.com and subscribe to our blog to be notified of new content just for dads!

*This podcast is sponsored by Audible.  For a free 30 day trial and a free audio book, go to audibletrial.com/howtobeadadtoday

With summer break just around the corner, we need to get a game plan, and get one quickly!  Episode 50 is here to offer you some tips, and ideas for how to maintain your sanity when the inmates let loose!

Also, "Free Range Parenting:" have you heard of it?  In this episode Mark gives you an overview of the book written by Lorene Skenazy, and offers his own perspective on the growing movement.  For more info, you can read his articles at:

howtobeadadtoday.com/freerange