Leaders build leaders

In 1998, half of all the head coaches in the NFL had either worked directly for Bill Walsh or Tom Landry, or had worked for someone who did. Currently, four head coaches in the NFL were assistant coaches for Tony Dungy. Great leaders build leaders.

This is true in sports, in the business world, and at home. So what makes a great leader? Humility. The willingness to listen to others. Apologizing for and correcting mistakes. Are you that kind of leader? If so, you are replicating the best in others long after you’re gone.

Read about some great leaders in the NFL Click Here.

What hands-on looks like, Part 2

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found kids with "hands-off" parents are twice as likely to smoke, drink and do drugs.

In the previous blog, we hit the first six characteristics of being a-hands-on-parent. Here are the rest: be very aware of your teen’s grades, have a curfew, eat dinner together most every night, know where your teen is at all times, and tell your kids you won't tolerate any drug use.

So be "hands-on" and your teens will keep their hands off drugs.

For the complete hands-on article: click here.

What hands-on looks like, Part I

A new study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse says the key to keeping your kids off of drugs is to be a-hand-on parent. What does that mean?

Well, these parents monitor their kids TV-watching and Internet use, they put restrictions on what music their kids buy, they know where their kids are after school and on weekends, and they give regular chores to their children.

Tomorrow we'll hit the other half of the list.

For the complete hands-on article: Click here.

You only half-listen

Science has proven that most men really aren't good listeners. An Indiana University researcher found in a new study that men listen with only half their brains while women use both sides. So men, is it hopeless? Nope. But it means we’ll have to try twice as hard as women.

Concentrate on what your wife is saying and resist the urge to interrupt. Good listening, like good speaking, is an art that must be learned and an invaluable treasure in marriage.

Is your marriage headed for divorce? Click here.

Not everyone is doing it

Studies show that half of all male high school students are virgins, up from 39 percent in 1990.

According to the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, 92 percent of all teens ages 15 to 17 believe that being a virgin in high school is a good thing.

Contrary to what some popular television shows and movies indicate, being a teen virgin is pretty popular.

Want to share your views of sex with your children? Click here.

The three needs of well-being

Your children have three physical needs that must be met for well-being and they can usually be met with lifestyle changes, not drugs:

Sleep - Dr. Timothy Roehrs, Director of the Sleep Disorders Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, did a study on young people and found when they get enough sleep, their sensitivity to pain was reduced to the same degree as a tablet of codeine and they were much happier and alert.

Diet - Harvard Medical School professor of psychiatry Dr. Andrew Stoll has found that eating fish can be just as effective as prescription drugs in elevating moods.

Exercise - "I like to say that exercise is like taking a little Prozac or a little Ritalin at just the right moment," says John J. Ratey, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of A User's Guide to the Brain. "Exercise is really for the brain, not the body. It affects mood, vitality, alertness, and feelings of well-being."

Sleep, diet and exercise are the trinity of good physical and emotional health in children. Make sure these three are priorities before resorting to pharmacology.

Did you know we offer complimentary online fatherhood classes? Click here.

Dance with Cinderella

Musician Steven Curtis Chapman wrote the following lyrics:

She spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I'm sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders

It's been a long day
And there's still work to do
She's pulling at me
Saying "Dad, I need you.

There's a ball at the castle
And I've been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone...

She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says, "Dad, the prom is just one week away
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand
Just glowing and telling us all they had planned
She says, "Dad, the wedding's still six months away
But I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?"

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone

Dance with your Cinderella and get other dads to do the same before your girls are gone. Plan a Daddy/Daughter dance at her school. For a how to guide: Click here.