March 13, 2020. That’s the day everything changed.
We were told it would be “two weeks to flatten the curve.” Two weeks turned into months. Months turned into years. And somewhere in the middle of all that, I made a promise to myself: I would not raise my boys to be confused by the chaos around them. I would raise them to think clearly, to trust their gut, and to lead with common sense.
I’m Lish Lafferty, a Gen X mom of three boys—one teenager and a set of twins. I created The Common Sense Way to Parent because I knew there had to be other parents out there who felt what I felt during those early days of 2020: frustration, disbelief, and a deep desire to make sure our kids grow up anchored in truth, not emotion or fear.
What I want for my boys is simple—but powerful. I want them to know how to spot nonsense when they see it. I want them to look at both sides of an issue, do the hard research, and base their decisions on facts—not feelings, not trends. I want them to respect others and appreciate differences, but never compromise truth for comfort.
There is truth. Not “my truth” or “your truth.” Just the truth.
I want them rooted in faith. I want them to know their dad and I want the best for them—not the easiest, not the flashiest, but the best foundation for a meaningful life. I don’t care if they go to college. I don’t care what job they end up in. What I care about is that they know every opportunity they get is theirs to make something of. The outcome? That’s on them.
This platform is for parents like me—parents who want to raise responsible, capable, resilient young people in a world that too often rewards weakness and confusion. We don’t live in the world we grew up in, and God knows I wish they had what we had. But they don’t. What they do have is us. We can teach them. We must teach them. And maybe, just maybe, we can give them a taste of what made our time so great—and show them how to bring some of that back.
That’s why I’m here. That’s why I want to be heard. And I hope this community helps us all feel a little less alone in this mission.
Welcome to The Common Sense Way to Parent.
