Why childhood matters -- The gift of adventure: bringing back skinned knees, secret forts, and yard games -- The gift of boredom: why kids need mental white space -- The gift of being uncool: how and why to let your kids be awkward -- The gift of imagination: creative play, saving reading, and a family technology contract -- The gift of balance: sports and extracurriculars are awesome (except when they're not) -- The gift of grit: instilling work ethic, handling failure, and other lessons from our neighborhood pet-sitting business -- The gift of manners and kindness: how I taught my kids to look adults in the eye (and other long-lost courtesies) -- The gift of family: why kids need a tribe and they need it to be you -- The gift of innocence: the blessing of not being a grown-up -- The gift of faith: grace for kids (and parents) who mess up.