Tag: parenting

Happy Post Labor Day

I hope that you had a fun and safe Labor Day holiday. Most people spend their holidays with family and friends. Mine was no different. In fact I was able to travel to Nebraska and be there for my sisters wedding. Throughout the weekend I was able to sit back, observe and enjoy my family. I just wanted to offer up some observations to you all.

  1. Your place in your family

 

This one I’ve known about for awhile now, but I was able to see it in full effect this past weekend. Whether you’re the drunk uncle at every family gathering, the dancing child, the silent one or the religious prayer warrior, we all have a part in our families. It might not be defined role with a title and it may change as we grow older and new generations come behind us, but each person is needed and makes the family unique. 

 

  1. Love and Laugh

 

What makes families so great is that you’re able to love each other through all of the ups and downs of life. It’s that love that makes the family unit stronger. Will there be arguments and disagreements? Absolutely. Those things that you argue about today will be the things that you’re able to laugh about a year from now. Laughter has been medically proved to be beneficial for your health. Laugh together with your family!! 

 

  1. Everything isn’t meant for Social Media

 

This past weekend was yet another reminder that we don’t need our phones to enjoy life. Life is happening all around us. We can get caught up in posting about the things that we’re doing rather than enjoying the events. Every once and awhile it’s good to not post anything, put your phone down and just enjoy the moments. 

 

  1. A group of dancing kids makes everything better

 

This one is just fun. At my sister’s reception, there wasn’t a better moment that when the DJ plays the kids favorite songs and they start dancing. You can’t help but to smile and cheer them on. Every adult that seems to have forgotten to just have fun and not care about what other think it back to being a child again. From the latest dances to the ones that are just pure energy and movement. It’s always a good time. 

 

These were just a couple of things that I thought about this past weekend. I pray that you’re holiday was great and that the rest of your year is filled with Love and Laughter. 

 

Discussion Question:

What did you observe from your family this past weekend?

Family Time is Important

Family time is sacred time and should be protected and respected. Boyd K. Packe Click To Tweet

Have you ever like time was slipping by you. You can remember like it was yesterday , that feeling of being a newlywed. Now, you look around and the kids are growing and you’re in the middle of life. Everything around you seems to have sped up.

 

Karina, 55, teacher, England: My daughter felt forgotten

As a teacher, it was impossible to complete work duties in a regular eight hour work day. As a single parent either my teenage daughter spent lots of time alone at home or she had to spend afternoons at my school watching me work. I was tired and completely overwhelmed. My stress levels were sky high and my daughter became resentful of my career, and she and I were on antidepressants. My daughter felt forgotten and acted out by ditching school. The irony of teaching, was that I spent more time with other people’s children than I did with my own child. – The Guardian

 

Have you found yourself in a similar situation or know someone who is. It is this case and so many others that have forced us to re-evaluate our balance in life. So much of our society, pursue work and career goals that our families suffer. Now we know the effect that it has had on our families. 

Family
Family Time

There must be a balance between work and family. Obtaining that balance is now why family time is important. How do make sure that we keep our family time separate from everything else? Here are three steps to move us toward valuing our family time. 

 

  • Schedule It

 

This is helpful really at the beginning  of this process. When you’ve been working so hard and have so many things on your plate, the best way to make sure that you are having family time is to put it into your schedule. Until you get to a place where you can willingly and completely separate from your work then your schedule is your best friend. 

 

  • Set Boundaries

 

Have you ever found yourself spending time with your family and yourself drifting to your cell phone. Then you’re scrolling for longer than you expected and end up missing out on family time that you set out to enjoy. 

 

To stop from having this scenario play out repeatedly, set up some boundaries. The first one being that there should be no cell phones during family time. After that, you can set the other boundaries as needed. Let your family know what the rules are, that’s an easy way to have accountability. 

 

  • Communicate Value

 

Your family time is important. Things of importance must have a value to you. The second part of that is that value must be communicated. Making the adjustment and re-balancing your life to include more family time, can be an ongoing battle. You won’t get it right each and every time, but what you can do is to let your family know how important and how much you value the time together. 

 

Even in the missteps, if you can talk from your heart, it will communicate the value you intend. 

Discussion Question:

How do you maintain balance in your life?

Teaching Your Children to Dream

Can you remember any of the dreams that you used to have when you were a child? If I really try to rack my brain and think about it, it is very hard for me to remember anything that I used to dream about. Probably like most boys they were dreams related to sports. They didn’t go far though because I was never the best athlete or anything. 

“Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”—Harriet Tubman Click To Tweet

Dream in the Future

I don’t know many children that dream of being doctors or lawyers, but I’m sure that they are out there. With my children, I want to do everything I can to encourage them to dream. I want to make sure that I’m teaching my children to dream. And to always dream. 

Here is how I’m teaching my children to dream and I hope that you can/will/are doing the same for yours. 

 

  1. Vision Boards

We have a family vision board. If you’re not sure what a vision board is, it is gathering images to represent your dreams. For example, if there is a dream car that you have always wanted, you would get an image of that car and put it in a place where you can see it every day. There is something powerful that happens when your mind can see what you want. Vision boards can help you dream and can teach your children to dream. 

  1. Experiences over Gifts

As parents, it can be easy to rely on getting our children gifts for birthdays, holidays and such. Part of teaching your children to dream should be the experiences that they have. Being able to have new experiences and try new things is all a part of developing their imagination. 

Gifts can be great and we shouldn’t deprive our children of them, however, we shouldn’t deprive them of experiences that will help them to grow, develop, think and dream bigger. 

  1. Share Your Dreams 

Be the example that you want your children and family to follow after. Have a vision board for yourself and have times where you share with them your dreams. 

People say that experience is the best teacher, but when it comes to teaching your children, your example is the best teacher. Your children having the opportunity to see your dream, go after those dreams and achieving those dreams will teach them more than anything that they will learn in a classroom. 

Discussion Question:

What are your dreams? Have you shared them with your family?