Wisdom from a Campfire!

I know I’ve been talking about my 13 year-old, Alex, lately but for any of you who are raising a teenager, it’s a whole new challenge. Magic happened over the six days of camping with Alex… he talked! No, really, he did!

Take away the cell phone, video games, and skateboard and what else is there to do but talk! We hiked three miles, drank from a pure cliff stream, and biked seven miles through the paved wilderness.

I’ve realized something through this. Even though our kids tell us “I don’t want to talk about it,” they really DO want to talk about it. I learned more during one bonfire with Alex than I learned in the entire month of June. It’s so important to create opportunities for our kids to spend one-on-one time with their parents–especially when they’re the oldest and are asked to take on adult responsibilities like babysitting and helping out with younger children.

I think even in business we need to get one-on-one with as many of our people as we can. With our own kids I suggest a scheduled time. Even if your kid hems and haws, he or she really does look forward to it and will eventually open up to you with the things they’re feeling about life. Remember, it’s not about saying to our kids, “Ok, tell me what’s going on.” It’s about creating an atmosphere for open communication and allowing it to happen naturally.

Ah, so much wisdom coming from the serenity of the campfire!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Put that schedule together for one-on-ones!