KISS YOUR...KIDS

Given my ever present awareness of my kids’ race towards adulthood, not to mention my continued aging and understanding that we are not guaranteed one more day on this earth…I decided I wanted to document all of the key lessons of life that I’d begun teaching my kids, along with those that I’d yet to convey because they were more appropriate at some point in the future, when my kids were a little older. In the event I were unavailable for pep talks or life lessons best suited for a later time in life, these documented key life lessons, this book, would expose them to positions on love, pain, triumph, competition, passion, defeat, humility, work-ethic and humor in a way that I would not be able to share any longer. Although I was driven by a concern that my kids could go without ever having been exposed to these perspectives, I felt strongly that even if I am to live to 100, I knew I wanted to document some of my core beliefs so that I could give an organized representation of them to my kids in print, for them to take with them when they went on to college and “flew our coop” to start their own lives in adulthood. My hopes are that they’ll reference it periodically, the same way that I periodically still refer to the easy-to-absorb Dale Carnegie books such as “How to Make Friends and Influence People” and “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.” Key messages of life presented in bite sized, thought provoking, chunks. As I began writing the words to underpin the life lessons that I wanted to document, I quickly began to feel like these messages could be just as helpful to other parents - new parents, young parents and old parents alike. I also thought that in reading this information, it might not only equip and empower parents to consider key messages they may want to deliver in their own way to their children, but it might also present some interesting perspectives for them to consider for themselves and potentially alter their own approach to life. There are 57 “life lessons” in this book. Below is the final paragraph of the book’s introduction, along with #57, the final life lesson named “Indescribable Love”. …”In any event…I know there are many ways you could be spending your time and I’m humbled that you’ve chosen to use a portion of it reading my thoughts. I’m even more hopeful that you find it helpful and conclude that at least one idea that I touch on below has a positive impact on your life, your child’s life, or someone else's life in the world.”