We Can All Use Some 'Common Sense'

This column first appeared in The Vindicator and Tribune-Chronicle newspapers on November 22, 2020:

Raising four kids is tough.

Raising four kids in an age of constant access to a flurry of media content is impossible. Or at least it feels that way some days.

I liken it to a day at the beach. Saying those words “day at the beach” should conjure images of sun and fun, sand and water, a good book under an umbrella, with an adult beverage nearby. When I’m alone or with my wife at the beach, it’s the ultimate picture of relaxation.

As we head into colder weather, as the pandemic raging on, I suspect many of us are having dreams of relaxing beach vacations.

However, most parents will tell you that a day at the beach is anything but relaxing. You’re on constant patrol, slathering protective sun screen on your kids, standing in ankle-deep water while your kids play wannabe surfers trying to catch a “killer” (2-foot high) wave while you’re scanning the sea for fins like its Shark Week on the Discovery Channel...

Read the rest of this column at https://www.tribtoday.com/life/lifecovers/2020/11/we-can-all-use-some-more-common-sense/ (may encounter paywall).