By Amy Looper, Mother and MindOH! Chief Visionary Officer

As parents and caregivers responsible for the kids in our lives whom we love, care about and want to see succeed, teaching children the importance of making wise decisions is always a huge part of what we do on a daily basis. I've been blessed with the opportunity to co-parent two wonderful step-sons who are now attending the University of Texas. Recently, while visiting them over a huge home game football weekend, all of those many conversations about being responsible and making good decisions flooded through my mind as I witnessed our youngest make a significant choice that all parents worry about.

We had just let his older brother, who is 21, off at his apartment where a group of both of the boys' friends were congregating before the game. Our youngest, who is 19, and his friends drove up in his car. They all piled out and walked over to say hi and "hook 'em horns" before disappearing into the fun and masses, all awash in burnt orange and rowdiness for the big game. "Come early, be loud, stay late" a lot of the T-shirts read. Clearly these college kids were ready to party!

As I watched these good and kind kids joyously fade into the crowd, warm feelings of pride in my step- sons' growth and accomplishments over the years were quickly snapped with an unpleasant thought. I suddenly realized they're probably going to drink before they headed over to the game. Concerned, that I had forgotten to tell him, for the thousandth time, my standard line to "be safe, no drinking, sex, drugs or rock and roll" -- a running joke between us representing the million times we've talked about these issues.

Running through my mind were all of the excuses I was making up to help me feel better about this sudden realization ... most of us tried at least one drink when we were in college, right? Nothing happened to us, right? Most college kids are going to drink regardless of what their parents tell them, right? He knows the consequences of drinking and driving, right? He will do the right thing, right? He'll do the right thing, right?

Well, yes, I did worry ... the entire evening. The next morning however, when we met back at his bother's apartment where we had last seen each other, there was his car. Still in the very same place he had left it the day before! I knew then that even if he had drank, he at least didn't drive. When I saw him I asked him if he and his buddies had had a drink before the game. He smiled and before he could finish I gave him a big hug and told him that I was very proud of him for not driving. He hugged me back and said "yea, I know the right thing to do even though we had a drink".

I learned that at some point, we as parents have to know that we've done our best and then the rest is up to our kids to make wise decisions. It doesn't mean our work is over -- there is always room for a respectful discussion and friendly reminder. But the heavy lifting, so to speak, is now on my young step son's shoulders. We've provided him the foundation on which to build and do the right thing when faced with these kinds of decisions by keeping our promise to him to discuss the hard topics and being there every step of the way when he's needed us.

If you haven't talked to your kids about drinking and driving, I encourage you to do so. It's never too late and you'd be surprised to know just how young kids are when they start talking about it, as well as experimenting with their friends. Do you want their information to come from friends or from you? Give your kids a hug and start the conversations today! They need to know you care because they'll be faced with making a decision that could change their lives forever, right?

Review by Leslie Matula, MindOH! Co-Founder and Nationally Recognized Character Education Expert

One of the most common complaints we at MindOH! hear from students is that adults don't listen to them. Kids feel that they rarely have the opportunity to tell their side of the story about anything. So it's not surprising that one of the things students like most about our materials is that they are given the opportunity to express themselves in a responsible and respectful way and to be heard as a result.

Fires in the Bathroom has given a group of high school students a similar opportunity, by allowing them to tell their side of the story about experiences with school, teachers, and their education. There is a great deal of wisdom in the author's stated purpose to "learn from students."

One of the things I like to tell kids is that we are all teachers, and we are all students. We have a lot to learn from one another. The problem for most of us adults is that being the teacher is a lot more comfortable than sitting in the pupil's seat, but that is exactly the place you need to sit while reading this book, so you can learn a thing or two from these young co-authors.

As the author points out, we sometimes allow order to trump other important goals. We often place more importance on "keeping the place running smoothly," rather than trying to understand the underlying causes of poor behavior or performance. And while students need to be continually reminded that they must accept responsibility for their choices and that part of becoming successful is learning to deal effectively with the challenges of life, we adults need to be reminded of what Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Coles so eloquently stated: "The child is an ever-attentive witness." It is our behavior and our performance that will ultimately shape the lives of those young people we are fortunate enough to raise, teach, and influence.

By Amy Dow, MindOH! Content Writer

Have you ever been to the incredibly diverse yet equally beautiful South East Asia and visited the country of Thailand? If so you may have recognized that the title of this article is Merry Christmas and Happy New year. Do you know what Joyeux Noël or Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo mean? I will leave those up to you to figure out!

Well as the Christmas season unravels I can't believe how fast this past year has gone! Each year is full of many celebrations that happen all over the world.

However, I must admit, my favorite time of the year is Christmas. Christmas is full of love, sharing, giving and hope. When I think about Christmas, I think about traditions. Do you do the same thing? Traditions such as Christmas caroling, decorating the Christmas tree and opening presents!!

Did you know that Christmas Caroling actually originated in Great Britain and the Christmas tree originated in Germany?

Christmas is celebrated differently all around the world. Some celebrate by hanging Christmas stockings with the hope of finding it full of goodies on Christmas morning. Some drink egg nog with every meal during the holiday season while some people don't celebrate the season at all.

Christmas time in Australia is a festive time of year and the weather is HOT!! Many Australians spend their holidays on the beach having a traditional BBQ. Can you imagine? It's actually the heat of summer and the temperature can be between 30-40 degrees Celsius or 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit. It's definitely not like the dead of winter I experience in my home town of Barrie, Ontario, Canada. It's not unusual for us to have a nice cold blanket of snow.

With Christmas only a short time away, I wish each and every one of you a wonderful holiday season and an even better New Year!

If you would like to hear how my cousin celebrates Christmas in England, or even my Australian friend Karen, who I had the delight of meeting while studying for a year in Australia, at Griffith University.

Take care and have a safe and happy Holiday season!

If you would like to hear how my friends Bruce from Australia and Kee from Singapore celebrate Christmas, just click on the audio links below! But remember you have to be online to hear the audio!

Australia - Bruce Johnston

Singapore - Geok Kee Soh

From now until December 31, MindOH! would like to make a contribution in your name to your favorite charity. If you, or someone you recommend, purchases an At Home Series (AHS) subscription, 10% of that purchase will go toward a charity of your choice or The MindOH! Foundation.

Use promotion code: AHSHOLIDAY04