Is it even possible to spend uninterrupted family time together anymore? Or, do we want to? With all of the push notifications and social media distractions calling out to us is it possible to unplug and engage face to face for even a few minutes?
As our kids get older they begin to reach for their independence, a healthy step to be sure. Throughout their lives our children move from elementary school to high school and beyond. They test the limits we have placed on them which tests their independence with us.
In the early years we walked above them, holding their hands up high as we taught them how to walk. Remember their little feet in between ours as we walked with them across
I find myself, on occasion, holding books and other various items with small print further away from me these days. I have also been known to borrow my wife’s Mary Engelbreit reading glasses so I don’t order the wring thing at a restaurant. My point is this. Sometimes we are to close to see things clearly.
In order to gain perspective we may need to back up to get a better picture. Stepping back from our kids does not mean withdrawing from them. It just means gaining a new
As parents we need to “lean in” to our children. Take interest in what they are doing, where they are going, and who they are becoming.
Ask questions that require a response other than “yeah,” “no,” “okay” and “fine.” I know, trying to get a response out of older children can take a bit of creative energy and may require the strength and precision of an experienced dentist trying to pull a tooth
There is a host of stories and comments on the internet that talk about what people would do different if they had life to do over again. A simple search will reveal people would spend more time with friends, develop deeper relationships, watch the sunset, be in the moment, enjoy life. There is a great book I read a few years ago called "Chasing Daylight: How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life." The book reveals Eugene O’kelly’s bought with an aggressive and malignant brain tumor and how he approached life daily after he received the news.
“Before the diagnosis, my last thought every night before falling asleep usually concerned something that was to happen one month to six months later. After the diagnosis, my last thought before falling asleep was...the next day.”
O’Kell’s book was published posthumously and as you read it you get the overwhelming sense of the importance of living
If we take the above story and apply it to family we can see some similarities. When we are consistent in our emotions and behavior it reduces our kids anxiety and frustration. When our kids know where the boundaries are and what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior they have a foundation from which to grow.
Our children know when boundaries are set and then
