Alvaro de Vicente on Enjoying Our Children and Why It's Important

They know we love them; but do our children sense that we like them? And how does that relate to their formation?

In the intense season of togetherness that is summer break, headmaster Alvaro de Vicente recommends four practices to help us live more in the present and enjoy our children—even when the anxieties of life come knocking.

Chapters:

00:02:17 Distinction between loving and liking 00:06:49 Four tools for cultivating "like": 00:08:02 1. Express triple-gratitude 00:10:45 2. Spend unnecessary time 00:15:25 3. Find the humor 00:17:15 4. Pray for the grace 00:18:38 Why liking them matters 00:22:59 Living in the present: an antidote to anxiety 00:29:12 The "four tools" for teachers 00:35:42 Whether humor belongs in bad situations 00:41:14 Don't take the bad too personally 00:46:03 Emotional stabilizers: marriage, friendship, prayer

Links:

I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat Based on St. Thérèse de Lisieux by Fr. Jean C. J. D'Elbée

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War by Douglas Brunt

Also on the Forum:

Reframing Our Desire to Be Liked featuring Alvaro de Vicente

Seeing Our Boys with Loving Eyes: Not Projects but Persons featuring Tom Royals

Featured opportunities:

Convivium for Teaching Men at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2025)