@Eric Kellum for the family report card, are parents grading their children as well?

Check out this conversation that me and my son Eric Sean had a couple of weeks ago. Try to watch it in it's entirety. Towards the middle, Eric Sean gives some really great advice that I believe will help fathers have awkward conversations with their sons. Moms you are welcome to watch (at your won risk), but I warn you, this content is for the men!!! Dads, do you have any advice to give other fathers about having uncomfortable conversations with your sons?

Quote for the Week: "Where is my real value if I devalue the unsolicited kisses and hugs from the people in my home, yet give value to the likes, follows and approvals of complete strangers?" I have a daughter who likes to hug. My Lord, she likes to hug! When she was 4, she would literally hug you five times in one day. At least. Today's, she's 19, and she doesn't hug that much in quantity anymore, but she still values hugs. If I hug her right now, I might just be hugging her for 3 - 4 minutes...no exaggeration. Recently I heard her say in passing that "hugging is when she feels most loved". Interesting. I don't get the excessive hugging. I don't mind hugging people. I have gotten used to hugging more. Hugging used to be uncomfortable to me because of my upbringing. Hugging, to me was a sense of vulnerability that I didn't feel comfortable giving to everyone; although, if you are in the faith community, particularly, Christian community, people hug ALL THE TIME (although not all Christian hugs feel genuine...but that's another conversation for another day). I didn't feel comfortable hugging my daughter to the degree that she liked to hug because 1) I felt like it was excessive, and 2) It wasn't comfortable to me. But I realized something when she was 4 that I try to keep myself accountable with even when she's 19: She doesn't want to hug just anyone. She wants to hug her mom, her siblings me. She wants to hug me, her father. The first male that she's ever come in contact with. And if I reject her hugs. If I say, "DAG! Why do you have to hug so much?" If I push away her affection, then I might just put her in a place where she would be desperate enough to hug anyone. "Family" and "Familiar" are similar words. Similar root. Sometimes we become familiar with family. Too familiar with family that we devalue the affection that they attempt to give us. All the while, we look for approval from people outside of our homes. Social media, bosses, keeping up with the Jones'.

Hey all. It's THROWBACK THURSDAY! (...Yes, I'm making that a thing, from time to time). Show us a throwback family pick of you and your spouse or kids from back in the day...or when you were a child with your family. Let's see the jheri curl, the high top fade, the Michael Jackson pleather jacket. Let's see what you got. I'm kicking off with a pic with me and my firstborn, 25 years ago, when I first because a dad...with the sideshow Bob locs (those joints would never lay down). Okay, your turn. Let's see what you got!

So my wife surprised me with a trip out of the continent. It has been an incredible gift! Possibly the most incredible gift I've ever received from her EVER! And she's blessed me with wonderful gifts before. Although I got to tell you, there was a time when I never thought she would do anything like this. There were times where we are existing. There were times were like Pharcyde..."passing each other by" (who remembers that joint?). There were times when I didn't even think we'd be married now. But today we are thriving. I look forward to sharing our marriage secret ingredients in the coming days, weeks, months, years we spend together (because a significant amount of people now a days says there marriage is "missing something"...we'll address that. we will work on that, I promise). In the meantime, I just wanted to send this message for two reasons: 1. To let you know I will be returning by the end of the week to truly engage in this community. 2. I encourage you to get interactively engaged in the community chat. What you put in it, you will definitely get out. So do me a favor and answer the following questions: >Who are you? Where are you from? What the best gift you ever received from ANY relative and what made that gift so great? >If you feel like you marriage is thriving, what are some of your ingredients that you wouldn't mind sharing? (I don't have to have all the answers; Lord knows I don't) I mean, from what I hear, most of you all are snowed in. So what else you got going on? Please feel free to share this community with other people you know that need to WIN in marriage and family. It will be free from a limited time only! Stay warm!