Our family has embarked on a journey from Ingrate-opolis to Gratitude-ville, in order to slay the terrible greed dragon that has taken my children captive. Our next stop along the trip, Routine-Valley seems to be the most difficult terrain. Breaking the vicious cycle of the gimmes and never enough mentality, is proving to be more difficult than I had speculated. This stop may take longer than I had planned and delay our arrival at Gratitude-ville, where we will financially adopt a child. For now, though, we are focusing on three new routines:
1. Cutting Out Frivolities: We have cut out our …read more

What is the most useful weapon in killing the horrid greed monster that often grips children?
My son just turned eight. During the week of his birthday, he went to Disneyland, Chuck E. Cheese and got breakfast in bed. Still, he found things to complain about. He even went so far as to say, “This is the worst birthday ever!” Something in me snapped. The realization that I had enabled his greedy attitude by giving into his every birthday whim, came back around and bit me right in the butt. He’s not the only child in our family who has displayed such a despicable attitude of greed. …read more