- How will I measure "success" in my life?
- What character traits will I model to others?
- How will I build strong relationships and work effectively with others?
- What role does faith play in my life?
- How will I persevere through life's inevitable hardships?
- How do I become a masterful decision maker, goal setter, and time manager?
- How will I succeed in college academics?
- How will I select and thrive in my career?
- How will I know he or she is "the one" and prepare for a lasting marriage?
- How will I achieve my financial goals and manage my money?
- How will I measure "success" in my life?
- What character traits will I model to others?
- How will I build strong relationships and work effectively with others?
- What role does faith play in my life?
- How will I persevere through life's inevitable hardships?
- How do I become a masterful decision maker, goal setter, and time manager?
- How will I succeed in college academics?
- How will I select and thrive in my career?
- How will I know he or she is "the one" and prepare for a lasting marriage?
- How will I achieve my financial goals and manage my money?
Equipping Young Adults for Real World Success
ADDRESSING THE NEEDDennis Trittin founded LifeSmart Publishing to help address the life skills deficit hindering today’s younger generation. Observation and research suggests this looming crisis is rooted in several cultural and institutional forces:
1. increasing fragmentation of family life
2. immature or absent parenting
3. schools viewing character/life skills as the domain of parents and therefore focusing primarily on traditional subject matter; parents incorrectly assume schools are fully covering key life subjects (e.g., finance)
4. inadequate youth employment opportunities
5. harmful cultural messages from the media and entertainment industries
The end result is that our society is producing a generation of young adults largely unprepared to negotiate life, develop and maintain healthy life-long relationships, demonstrate honorable and effective leadership, build stable households, and succeed in a--- Read More
Truth for Youth Podcast: Life Lessons with Dennis Trittin
9/20/2020 10:23:50 PM
One of the most encouraging and inspiring aspects of our work at LifeSmart Publishing is meeting amazing young people who are motivated to impact the world. One such person, Jonah Swanson, is an incoming first-year student at Westmont College who is already making a difference. In addition to his studies, he is passionate about bringing practical life wisdom to youth through The Truth for Youth Podcast he created. Since this is perfectly aligned with LifeSmart’s mission, it was an hon--- Read More
4 Concerning Reports About Today's College Experience
9/15/2020 11:58:54 PM
Maybe it’s the time of year. Or, maybe it’s a sign of the times. If you ask me, it’s both… Over the last several weeks, with a new school year upon us, I’ve been reading more concerning reports about today’s college experience. Some are from reflective faculty members who witness it firsthand, while others are from parents who are footing the bill and employers who are hiring young adults. No, they are not necessarily new issues, but the confluence a--- Read More
The Most Important Goal For This School Year...
9/10/2020 6:32:27 PM
In a world consumed with constant distractions and multitasking, it seems like we’re becoming more like bumblebees—paying short visits to one flower after another. We’ve never faced “incoming data" like this before, and it’s affecting our attention spans, stress levels, and ultimately, our productivity. With the world of politics feeling incredibly polarized, the news cycle (with lots of alarmist stories!) going 24/7, and social media at the very tips of o--- Read More
How to Start Treating Your Teen Like a (Real) Grown-Up
8/27/2020 11:47:34 AM
Parents: how many times have you heard your teen say, “You treat me like a kid!” How many times have you responded, “Well, it’s because you act like one!”? Teens are constantly and increasingly tugging at the reins, wanting more and more slack. When teens ask to be treated like adults, what they're really wanting are the privileges of adulthood. A car. Money in their pockets. Decision-making authority. Autonomy. Unfortunately, because of the natu--- Read More
Building Better Decision Makers
8/12/2020 10:59:27 AM
It is undeniable that the quality of our decisions has an enormous impact on our happiness, well-being, and life success. With the benefit of time and reflection, we can see how the cumulative effect of our decisions, both good and bad, has led us to where we are today. And, they have an enormous impact on where we will be tomorrow. All of us guiding children have a special responsibility to develop their decision-making capability. (Not surprisingly, employers routinely cite deci--- Read More
Making Friends in New Places
7/30/2020 11:21:58 PM
This time of year always brings back memories of my first semester in college and the social adjustment I hadn’t anticipated. As a small town guy who knew everyone, being surrounded by a sea of strangers instead of my “regulars” was a brutal reckoning that life would never be the same. In those days, we lacked technology to keep us connected, and phone calls were simply too expensive. I remember resorting to writing letters to my friends who had scattered and were experiencing --- Read More
Is Your Parenting Style Affecting Your Teen's Behavior?
5/12/2020 12:31:08 AM
How would you describe your parenting style? And, how would you characterize your child’s attitudes and behaviors? The truth is, they’re connected in more ways than we realize. Although parenting isn’t about “picking a style” and running with it, we do have some tendencies that stem from our background, experiences, desires, and beliefs. Borrowing from our latest book, Wings Not Strings: Parenting Strategies to Let Go with Confidence, let’s delve into --- Read More
Fun Conversation Ideas for your Students and Children
4/27/2020 9:01:36 PM
Let’s face it. We’re all getting a little restless with these lockdowns. We miss the direct, face-to-face contact with our family, friends, and teachers. And, depending on the state in which we live, it can feel like we’re attached to a ball and chain. When we’re lonely or bored, it easily puts a strain on our relationships—especially when our world is scary. In light of this, we created a list of fun conversation topics to share with the children in--- Read More
Can One Conversation Change Your Life?
4/7/2020 2:44:02 PM
Being cooped up has given me more time to reflect on the people who have impacted my life. Usually, they’re the family and friends that stood with me for a long time, sharing experiences and support when I needed it. Without them, who knows how things would have turned out. It’s one of life’s greatest mysteries. Meanwhile, there are others who are placed in our lives for a fleeting moment. Maybe someone you befriended or who gave you a pearl of wisdom when you faced --- Read More
From Lemons to Lemonade: Turning Trials to Triumph
3/24/2020 10:36:42 PM
No matter who we are, we eventually face trials and crises. They usually happen to us individually (death, sickness, job loss, divorce), but in rare situations, like now, it affects us all. Although the degree and nature of our burdens vary, in generalized crises no one goes unscathed—especially in one that involves both our health andfinances. That’s a double whammy that hits extra hard, and we’re all hurting. The question isn’t so much whether we’ll fa--- Read More
Parenting With Freedom or Fear: The Bicycle Test
3/16/2020 11:29:12 PM
When we wrote our new book, Wings Not Strings: Parenting Strategies to Let Go with Confidence, we chose our title based on the imagery it represents. At launch time, will we, figuratively speaking, release our “eagle” with wings to soar, confident, capable, and free to fulfill his/her dreams? Or, will we be releasing a “kite,” whose strings we control and maneuver out of fear, and whose freedom we inhibit? Although our title was aimed at the teen being--- Read More
