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Smarts and Storytelling: Einstein’s Surprising Advice on Intelligence.
Einstein said a lot of things, and much of what he has said has been handsomely crafted into tight shareable memes that offer an inspiring boost to our mornings. —But there is one quote that takes...
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How To Be Super, Part 1: Introduction
Being Super is a life long practice—one that involves the head, heart and a lot of courage. Oh, and plenty of crazy too.—Every year a new superhero movie —if not several—is released and makes tons of...
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How To Be Super, Part 2: Keep Your Eyes Open
You know in your heart of hearts that you have what it takes to be a superhero. A real one. But, like all superheroes, you need some guidance and so you found this little tutorial. —You are reading...
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How to Be Super, Part 3: Believe It
David Sewell McCann points out that “it is the mind that chases possibilities away. It is our rationalizations that shut the door on anything that challenges our small boundaries of what is...
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How to Be Super, Part 4: Do Something Brave
Over the past few weeks we have explored a way of becoming super that is hinged on allowing our imagination to guide us. The first two steps are more of an internal experience—paying attention and...
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How to Be Super, Part Five: Tell No One
We have reached the final step in our Superhero training. You have paid attention and kept your eyes open. You have opened your heart and believed what was happening. You did something brave and found...
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Warm Words and Strong Arms: How to Hold the Sensitive Child
Some people are just sensitive. The barrier between them and the world is particularly thin, and it allows a lot more ‘stuff’ in.—My boy doesn’t want to go to school. Every morning I greet the same...
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Beside Myself: Why April Fools is Important
David Sewell McCann will happily lose some sleep if it means teaching his children that “Life is Fun.”—Last night I got 4 hours of sleep. And it was not because of work or because one of my son’s was...
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Slow Travel with Children – What Does the Tortoise Say?
Slow and steady wins more than just races.—It was the final leg of our cross country trip to our home in Burlington Vermont from Austin, Texas. My wife, two boys and me were spent, of course. Tired of...
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Screen Free: What Would Mr. Rogers Say?
As a man who built a culture out of children’s television, would he be against Screen Free Week? It’s hard to know. Bud David Sewell McCann has some thoughts on that.—“What’s wrong?” my children...
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Between Safe and Real: Talking to Your Kids about Natural Disasters
Embed from Getty ImagesNorthern California is on fire. Houston was under water last month and Puerto Rico is still without power. Natural disasters occur in every part of the world. Some places seem...
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Turning Aside: Telling Your Children Stories of Difference
Embed from Getty Images“When one is open to diversity, which can be found just about everywhere, one opens themselves to see as much as possible, and invites others to truly see them.”The words...
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Why are Politics? How to Explain it to Children
Embed from Getty ImagesChildren are paying attention. They want to know why the president, senators and congress people are behaving this way.Why are they mean?Why do they say nasty things about each...
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To the Children: You are Safe and the World is Good
Embed from Getty ImagesWhile we learn the details of the Sutherland Springs church shooting on Sunday, we adults think about gun violence, mental illness and politics. We mourn, we rage, we give, we...
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America Needs a New Story: Here are Three
Embed from Getty Imagesstory of “The American Dream” has long been one of possibility, hard work, and success. We tell this story over and over not only in our entertainment, but also in every...
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Narrative Density: A Storyteller’s Guide to the Thanksgiving Meal
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen I was a kid, Thanksgiving was always the same: we ate at my Grandparents house, we ate the same foods, we watched one game of football while munching on salted nuts, and...
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The Truth About Santa Claus
Embed from Getty ImagesSanta Claus is real.The red hat, the beard, the boots – all of it. It is true and it is real. When parents re-tell the Santa Claus story – however they re-tell the Santa Claus...
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Try Saying Nothing: The Gift of the Quiet Nod
Embed from Getty ImagesParents love to give advice – especially dads. We feel it is our duty to prepare our children for the big world, help them learn from their mistakes and ours, show them some...
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Princes, Princesses, Knights, and Nurses: Talking about Gender and Identity
Embed from Getty ImagesTeaching first grade was a year of revelation. I cannot count how many times I thought to myself, “Woah! What just happened?!” or “Woah! That worked!” or “Woah! Did they really...
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Tell Them They are Safe (Even When You Don’t Believe It)
“What is the most important thing to bring with you into the wilderness,” asked the instructor. I had taken my fifth graders to a Wilderness Survival retreat for their end of year trip – and the...
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