Single Parents Town Blog

GUIDING YOUR CHILDREN TO LIVE AUTHENTICALLY (helping them avoid that mid-life crisis)
Posted by PatrickTalley

Every once in a while, I’ve remind my kiddos I didn’t grow up as a little boy in southeast Houston dreaming of being a technology salesman. I had other dreams. I had dreams of being a national park ranger and spending my days and nights outside taking in some of nature’s greatest displays.

Hell, at one point I had dreams of being a professional football player. My path, since just after college, was to go the corporate route, and I’m okay with the “choices” I’ve made. I put the word “choice” in quotes because at the time, it wasn’t such a conscious choice. Hey, I’m good at what I do, and it’s afforded me a comfortable lifestyle. It’s afforded me free time and countless trips aboard and trips to those national and state parks to enjoy nature’s grandeur. It hasn’t, however, been a career choice that has had me living my passion. I have over time moved more and more of my energy into my passions – the outdoors, photography, and perhaps even the parenting book I wrote last year DIVORCED DADS’ RULES FOR RASINING RELATIVELY STABLE KIDS (available on amazon.com). Continue reading »

On Children by Kahil Gibran

On Children
Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts. Continue reading »

So there was a movie a while back called “Failure to Launch” with that Matthew McConaughey fella (yes, I had to look up how to spell his name) who played a thirty-something who still lived with his mom and dad. Frankly, all I remember from the movie is that the guy didn’t seem to own a shirt and some funny scene with the former Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, walking around naked in the house.

This failure to launch theme seems more prevalent with the current crop of kids than with our generation. Ouch! Did I really just say “with our generation”? Am I finally that guy, the one who talks about how things were different back in the day? Oh well, so be it, because things were different back in the day. I am from a large family. There were ten of us living in a 1,000 square foot house, and obviously that means we doubled up and even tripled up on kids in bedrooms. (I swear to this day, I still can’t figure out how to make the top bed on a bunk bed.)

Back when I was coming of age, it was pretty much family tradition to get the same gift upon turning 18. And that coming of age gift: an empty suit case. Point made, Dad; message received loud and clear! Continue reading »