The Journal
Our Principles
What do we believe about how people grow?
Every essay on Our Principles, strongest first. Each answers one real question, then gives you one thing to try this week.
Twelve convictions, kept close enough to live by.
- ConnectionBelonging, attachment
- FormationContribution, agency
- CultureRepair, joy
7 essays
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How do I repair after losing my temper with my kids?
What to Do After You've Yelled at Your Child
Children learn more from how we come back than from whether we ever go wrong.
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How do families get better at making up after a fight?
Repair Is the Skill: Making Up Well as a Family
A strong family is not one that never fights, but one that always comes back.
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Should parents apologize to their kids?
Saying Sorry to Your Children
A parent who can say sorry teaches repair better than any lesson.
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How do I raise kids who make good choices on their own, not just obey?
Raising Children Who Lead Themselves
Obedience is where a child begins; choosing the good is where we hope they arrive.
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How do I have authority without being controlling?
Being the Parent Without Being Harsh
Be the calm, kind adult who is clearly in charge, for the child's good.
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How do I get my kids to tell me the truth?
Making Home a Place Where It Is Safe to Tell the Truth
Meet the truth with calm first and consequence second, and you will hear more of it.
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Why are family rituals important for child development?
Why Rituals Matter So Much to Children
A ritual tells a child, again and again, that they belong here.
See where your family already stands
The assessment takes a few minutes, needs no email, and ends with a seven-day practice for the part of family life with the most room to grow.