Cold Showers "Your supply of willpower is limited, and you use the same resource for many different things," say Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney in their bestselling book Willpower. Every time you exert your willpower - making a decision, handling a crisis, or avoiding a temptation - you are drawing on limited reserves. Studies have shown that if you find yourself exerting extra willpower, you [...]
Easter Egg Treasure Hunts can be done any time of the year. Making a scavenger hunt at the playground is one of my kids' all-time favorite activities to do with dad. All it takes is a little planning, a little drawing, and a buck or two for prizes. (Or candy, if you go that way.) To set up a scavenger hunt at the playground, the [...]
Good movies are a treasure to find. A movie that will keep a child entertained, without zoning them out into a mental oblivion, is like finding a wonderful new friend. You invite your favorite stories into your home regularly, because they always bring laughter and happiness, without being scary or confusing. Finding a good movie that will keep a toddler engaged, and still not scare [...]
Winter is not a fun time to have the furnace go out on you. Yes, it certainly helps to have perspective, as I kept telling myself: modern heating over the last century has come a long way. Instead of having to chop wood all weekend (or conscript your children into doing it), we can simply flick a switch or turn a dial or press [...]
Bedtime was a catastrophe. Both of my sons were crying. My wife had spent most of the day sick and vomiting, and she was still trying to console our screaming boys. I fell into bed, exhausted, and the last thing I wanted to hear was a crash coming from the bathroom. My daughter is the oldest and (I hoped) the most likely child to be capable of going into [...]