Is it better to give or to receive?
Do kids have a choice?
Kubla and I go to the Natural History museum. He wants a toy from the dinosaur exhibit gift shop. At dinner the night before, we talk about a foreign mining disaster in the news. Dozens
Author: Jonathan Domsky
This shirt is already sandy and wet
Why resist the inevitable?
There’s an old Samurai saying—Die before going into battle—the idea is to accept death so you can fight without fear. Kubla and I go to the beach. In less than 30 seconds he’s wet and
My niece is not a princess
She’s a queen
My niece is no damsel in distress, looking pretty as she waits to be saved by some prince. Ever since she was a baby, she’s been a queen. What’s the difference? Let my brother explain
Play Video Games Together
Connect with a human, not with a screen
It was vacation. We were staying with Kubla’s cousins for the week. All the big kids wanted to do was play video games on the computer. It was the first time he had seen computer
Try harder
Kids are more capable than they and the grown-ups around them realize
When Kubla was two years old, he thought the words for ‘Open it’ were ‘Try harder’. He would hand me a jar to open. I would hand it back and say try harder. He would
Kubla and I love Japanese monster movies. Ultraman, Godzilla, and Mothra all have pride of place in his imagination. We’ve whiled away many an afternoon battling monsters—he’s always the hero, saving the bad guy role
Not learning to swim
Teaching Kubla to swim in 2 years and 15 minutes
I had been teaching Kubla to swim for 2 years. We spent lots of time at the pool and beach, but he just wouldn’t put his face in the water. He did get very adept
I think that little kid wants to talk to you
What does it take to stop a fight before it starts? (9th of a 9 part series)
Kubla and I are playing in the park. The big kids, 4th graders, are in the basketball court. We smell trouble in the air. Kubla edges closer so he can overhear their conversation. “When I see
Use your powers
Use their powerful imaginations to crowd out their fears (8th of a 9 part series)
Kubla is afraid to enter the dark room. He wants me to go in first. “Kubla, just use your powers to light up the room.” He looks at me, not sure what to do. I
That’s not how we do things around here
In the face of evil, will you stand by or stand up? (7th of a 9 part series)
Kubla had been training to be a hero for weeks. He was ready to unleash his powers on the playground. His friends, a brother and sister, are on the slide. Kubla joins their play. After