A local parenting author I've been following came out with a book recently giving very tactical advice on dealing with everyday situations and what kind of language can be most effective and respectful. I finally got a chance to read it and really enjoyed it: Now Say This: The Right Words to Solve Every Parenting Dilemma by Heather Turgeon and Julie Wright.

It read like a combination of RIE-inspired philosophy applied to daily situations. Half the scripts/examples sounded just like the best preschool teachers and directors I've seen in action and heard "in the field." Going through this book gave me a really good mindset for how to generate my own ways of saying the main ideas. I also found the ALP approach (Attune, Limit Set, Problem Solve) to be applicable to so many situations (in parenting and outside it).

I highly recommend this book to any parent. Probably in the top 5 parenting books I've ever read.

My notes on the biggest takeaways and example scripts are below. The book is filled with so many more details and example scripts and conversations.

A good friend and fellow entrepreneur recommended to me Measure What Matters by John Doerr, and I recently finished reading it. I thought it was a very comprehensive and helpful overview of implementing Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) in a company from the ground up.

It reminded me a lot of the books Work Rules by Laszlo Bock and How Google Works by Eric Schmidt, which I read previously and also enjoyed.

Measure What Matters was consistent with what I saw and experienced first hand with OKRs during my time at Google. I didn't know the history of OKRs and how Andy Grove really built up the foundations behind the methodology at Intel, so that was nice to learn. I also enjoyed a lot of the varied stories and examples of how diverse groups and companies (including rock bands and foundations) have implemented OKRs successfully and the positive impact on their culture.

Below are my notes and major takeaways from the book, which I highly recommend. I look forward to implementing these processes at Epirus.

I just finished reading Duct Tape Parenting by Vicki Hoefle, and it's probably the best parenting book I've read in about a year. Such a wake-up call and such a dead-on diagnosis of problems I've personally experienced.

The title sounds silly, but so many friends and authors I respect recommended it to me, so I checked it out. The title comes from the core strategy: putting duct tape over your mouth and hands to stop yourself from nagging/directing/commenting on/fixing your child's problems. It focuses on training and relationship strategies rather than "band aid techniques" (e.g., nagging/time-outs) for treating bullet wounds (severe training and relationship deficiencies).

I found a lot of value in the examples of how parents applied the ideas in the book to their lives. I also liked the detailed training roadmap that goes through the life skills and social skills kids should master at each age level in order to be ready to be independent by age 18.

I highly recommend this and wish I found it sooner. Now I just need to go get some duct tape....

See below for my full notes on the book.