On this Valentine's Day, let's all take the opportunity to give our children and loved ones the gift they want most. Our Time.

Who hasn't heard from another parent, "enjoy your children now; they grow up so fast!" That is a true statement. They do grow up very fast. All children do. You did too when you were a child. But when another parent gives you this line, what are they really telling you? No, they are not simply stating the obvious, and they are not telling you to take lots of pictures or videos because your children will soon look very different. They are telling you that you should take the time to sink into your children and make this time of their development, and every time of their life, as memorable as you can by sharing it.

So, now that a new school year has just started, how do you feel? Yes, I am talking to you Moms and Dads. Are you happy that your kid is finally out of your hair for the next nine months, more or less, or do you feel a sense of loss and perhaps some nervousness as to how your child will weather the new beginning. Whatever your reaction, happy, nervous, concerned, or a mix of the above, it is normal. In my case, the story always ended with "I waved back, got in my car, and wiped off tears."

August 27, 1976, seems so long ago but it feels like yesterday. It was on that day that I took my first steps on American soil at JFK airport determined to make a life on my own.  I had left my loving family in Greece to join a host family in the Boston area as an exchange student, in search of a future that I hoped I'd have a hand in influencing instead of accepting what was served to me by the status quo.  So without language skills, or knowledge of people or culture, I set out to prove to myself that I could.

Another school year just started or is soon to start, and you along with your children are looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. New school year means new beginnings, but it should also mean different beginnings, avoiding mistakes or irritating situations of years past, and establishing new habits that will serve as the platform to your child’s character formation. As the new school year commences, here are 3 Things to adopt that will have a great impact on your life and your child's character in the future.