Category Archives: Solutions

Freedom + No Screens => Physically Fit Kids

Published on June 5, 2013 by Mike Lanza

I was stunned when I first saw it. My son Marco, age 8, just won a 5K race at 22:45, averaging less than 7-1/2 minute miles for three miles.  That’s better than most adults I know, including me! You see, he’s not a runner, per se. He has no running shoes or clothes, and his only real running training was three 1-1/2 to 2 mile runs in the weeks before this race. What he is is a kid who has … Continue reading →

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Leaving Your Kids at the Park: A Good Idea for the 1%

Published on May 16, 2013 by Mike Lanza

Do your young kids live within one block of a park? My guess is that somewhere around 99% of kids don’t. The best data on this comes from the Centers for Disease Control, which claims that 80% of kids don’t live within a half mile of a park. The problem is, kids hardly roam anymore. Again, I don’t have precise data, but my anecdotal research indicates that the vast majority of kids in preschool aren’t allowed to roam on their … Continue reading →

Posted in Neighborhood, Solutions | Comment(s)

Precocious Talents

Published on May 14, 2013 by Mike Lanza

What do you do when parents show off their children’s precocious talents? Just this past weekend, I sat with my three kids and a few dozen other parents and kids to watch a five-year-old boy play two classical pieces on piano, then a girl around the same age play two violin tunes. I squirmed. I thought about how I really don’t have anything comparable to show off about my kids. They do have some interesting talents, which I’ll mention later, … Continue reading →

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Vacations Versus Everyday Home Life

Published on April 5, 2013 by Mike Lanza

Do your kids absolutely crave vacations away from home? Are they sad to come home? If that’s true, there are two possible explanations. One is that you plan absolutely off-the-charts, world-class vacations. The other is that your kids’ home life is drab and boring. For your sake, let’s hope it’s the former. Our family just took a vacation to Hawaii for spring break, and although we had some amazing moments, at other moments, our kids said they wanted to go … Continue reading →

Posted in Solutions, The Problem | Comment(s)

Doing is the Path to Both Inner Fulfillment and Worldly Success

Published on March 15, 2013 by Mike Lanza

Doing has always been an important way to reach inner fulfillment. Now, it’s also the most important path to worldly success. It’s good for the inside and for the outside. It’s a win-win. I’m talking about taking action, but I’m not talking about doing as you’re told. I’m talking about looking inside yourself and doing things that you think will make the world a better place. And repeat. Over and over.

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Fitting Organized Sports Into Our Family Life

Published on March 1, 2013 by Mike Lanza

Organized sports can be great for kids’ bodies and character. Unfortunately, they also have a big downside: they pull kids away from their families and neighborhoods, now much more than ever. Partially due to organized sports, kids aren’t playing sports in their neighborhoods nearly as much as they used to. Almost entirely due to organized sports, they aren’t eating dinners at home with their families very much, either. Furthermore, parents and siblings spend tens of minutes, sometimes hours, each time … Continue reading →

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From Playful Childhoods to Productive, Happy Adulthoods: Connecting the Dots

Published on January 25, 2013 by Mike Lanza

I want my children to have playful childhoods. When they grow up, I want them to be “doers” and have happy, productive adulthoods. One might argue that my wishes are contradictory, that “playing” and “doing” are opposites. After all, play is free and spontaneous. It’s whimsical and carefree. Doing, on the other hand, sounds like Type-A, goal-directed stuff. Work. Stress. Drudgery. Ugh… Well, I disagree with this point of view. I strongly believe that childhood play can form the foundation … Continue reading →

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Doing is a State of Mind

Published on January 23, 2013 by Mike Lanza

We all see things that bother us many times a day, every day. The interesting question is, what do we do about it? First, I’ll tell you what I used to do. Like most people, I often ignored the problem. When I decided to “do” something to solve the problem, I actually didn’t “do,” most of the time. Instead, I delegated it to someone else. By “delegate,” I mean that I either bought the solution (e.g. buy Halloween costumes for … Continue reading →

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Want Your Kids to Be Doers? That’s Your Job, Not Your School’s

Published on January 10, 2013 by Mike Lanza

Kids’ lives are increasingly structured to discourage independent problem solving of real world problems – i.e. “doing.” The two biggest trends in children’s use of their are the alarming increase in screen time, and the increase in time they spend on adult-administered activities – school, homework, and afterschool activities. So, how do we combat this trend? I’m amazed to find that many people think schools are the answer. For instance, this recent article highlights schools’ efforts to make kids into … Continue reading →

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The Doer Manifesto: A Resolution for 2013 and Beyond

Published on December 28, 2012 by Mike Lanza

I want to make my kids into doers. I will help them connect their passion for play with a passion for making the world a better place. I will show them how to devote every day of their lives to solving problems, rather than leaning back in front of the TV. I will show them that they can change anything that bothers them, for the better. I will inspire them to pursue their own interests, rather than wait for a … Continue reading →

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