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Forming Free Spirits in Close Quarters

Middle School Head, Andy Reed, offers helpful, practical, guidance for parents seeking to finish the academic year well under these historically challenging days. Mr. Reed offers advice derived from countless conversations with Heights parents striving to form “men fully alive” during a time more insular than days gone by, and days to come.

“Will he be happy?”: Fostering Gratitude in a Fast-Paced World

As parents, one of our primary duties is to help our children discover that gratitude is a path to lasting happiness.  But where is the trailhead and how do we go about getting our boys on the right track, especially in a busy age of myriad privileges that are now assumed to be entitlements?  In such an age, how can we foster a culture of appreciation and gratitude in our homes?

The Bedrock Principle of Fatherhood

Dads, how often do we try to strong arm our sons into success?  Is this the best way?  Even if your son achieves success, is it his win or is it yours?  Join Andy Reed for a discussion of fatherhood.  Learn more about what our Middle School Head refers to as the “bedrock principle” of fatherhood, the notion that you, as a father, have to accompany rather than manage your boy, and that he will draw confidence for himself from your confidence in him.

Forming your Young Son’s Conscience

This week on HeightsCast we feature a recording of our most recent Heights Lecture Series featuring Colin Gleason, who discusses the formation of conscience in the young boy. Though we focus, among other things, on the formation of the will at The Heights, the formation of a boy’s moral compass–his conscience–is equally important. The forming of a child’s conscience begins at a very early age. The peer group, school, and culture will all be factors in our children’s moral growth, but no environment will affect the bearings of conscience more…

Fostering Vocations in a Digital Age

Fr. Carter Griffin, Rector of the St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, DC, shares his thoughts on vocation. Where are vocations coming from? What are the characteristics of homes that are conducive to our sons hearing the Lord’s call? How has his approach to formation changed with the arrival of young men raised in a digital age? Fr. Griffin discusses all of this and more in today’s podcast.

Smart Phones: Why Wait When He’s “The Only One.”

Smart phones present unprecedented challenges to parents. Consequently, we are encouraged to “wait until 8th.” Head of Mentoring here at The Heights, Joe Cardenas, wonders whether we should hang in there just a little longer.   Have Smart Phones Destroyed a Generation, Jean Twenge (TheAtlantic.com) https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/ “Psychologically, however, they are more vulnerable than Millennials were: Rates of teen depression and suicide have skyrocketed since 2011. It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades. Much of this deterioration can be…