Search Results for: family life

Peaceful Family Life

Every so often I wonder at whether or not my home environment is everything I want it to be. Before I had children I really worked to have a peaceful home environment. I kept the house picked up, and managed to keep the noise level very low and peaceful. And I managed to do okay with one child, and it only got a little bit worse with two, but with three children, it is a struggle to create that environment in my home. And so I had to rethink what I meant by a peaceful home environment. Now I still … Continue reading →

Micromanaging Family Life

Have you ever had one of those bosses—the kind who try to micromanage every little detail of the job you are trying to do? It can be incredibly frustrating as you attempt to get a project finished or even use your God-given intellect and talents to have someone constantly second-guessing or looking over your shoulder—or worse yet, someone who actually changes or undoes what you have already done. As a parent, what you think is facilitation or guidance with your child may actually be micromanaging. When it comes to the details of how your family is run—meal time, chores, errands, … Continue reading →

Can You Bring What They are Learning Elsewhere into Family Life?

Children are most likely to learn and remember things when there is repetition–practice, reminders, etc. For this reason, if children are being introduced to new concepts in school, or learning something in church or sports or another extra-curricular activity, as parents we can reinforce that learning at home to make it more likely that the child will retain it. Of course, this parenting approach means that we need to take an active interest so that we know what the child is learning elsewhere. Talk to the child, pay attention when you are sitting on the sidelines at soccer practice or … Continue reading →

Meditation and Family Life

Ah…meditation. We’ve heard all the advice about how important it is to meditate; we know that we will fell calm and peaceful if we only take the time to let go of life’s stresses and learn to focus, meditate, stretch, chant, blah, blah, blah. To be honest, the people I know who are regular meditators are NOT people with houses full of children. They are either individuals whose children have all grown up, or they are childless folks who can not only meditate, but have altars and little fountains of trickling water right in the middle of their living rooms—at … Continue reading →

Embracing and Fostering Spontaneity in Family Life

There is a difference between spontaneity and chaos—it took me a few years of family life to really understand this difference. Having led a reasonably orderly life prior to having children, the immediate chaos of life with kids was a bit overwhelming. Scheduling and organization became my best friends as I struggled to get control of my new life. However, over the years, I’ve learned that balance is a good thing and even the most organized families need some spontaneity for good measure. The other night, my middle daughter and I were heading downtown for a free community concert. Halfway … Continue reading →

Adoption-Photos for Family Life Book

My family is in the process of adopting a teenage girl. The process has been long, frustrating, disappointing and even heartbreaking at times. One of the things we had to put together was a Family Life Book. The book is to represent our family and what we have to offer a waiting child. I take a lot of photos of my family so it really wasn’t hard to come up with photos but I wasn’t sure what they wanted in the book. I found very limited information on the internet. I think the limited information was in part because each … Continue reading →

Work-Life Balance: It’s A Family Affair

Although it may seem like work-life balance is an individual issue, you may be able to achieve a better work-life balance if you approach the issue from a different perspective. The perspective that I am referring to is not upside down while doing a headstand, nor is it sitting cross-legged and gazing intently at your navel. However, if either of those two positions is how you do your best thinking then by all means go for it. All joking aside, it may be helpful to approach work-life balance from the perspective of the family as a whole. Having a family … Continue reading →

The Salwen Family Downsizes Their Lifestyle

Yesterday, I was flipping through my latest PEOPLE magazine, when I saw a book review that caught my attention. “The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back” tells the story of the Salwen family. This family of four was living the good life. Their 6,500 square foot in Atlanta had three Viking stoves, an elegant dining room, Portuguese inlaid tile, an elevator, and a $2 million price tag. Then one day, something happened. No, dad Kevin didn’t lose his job as a writer and entrepreneur, there was no major family catastrophe for mom Joan, … Continue reading →

Is your Home-life too busy for some Family Fun?

Sometimes, even the good things in life can seem like another source of stress or feel like just another expense in growing pile of bills. It’s sad, but it happens. We just have so much going on that it can be overwhelming. It seems like there isn’t even time to relax and have a little fun. That’s when we have to get organized and make time. We all need something to look forward to… Even a simple, inexpensive outing or night of fun at home can make a huge difference. You can find some great ideas in the Family Fun … Continue reading →

Creating a Healthy Lifestyle for Your Family

Spring has officially come, and it is a great time to help your family focus on caring for themselves in a healthy way. The Word of Wisdom teaches us to care for our bodies. We need to be careful about what we eat and choose to put into our bodies. We also need to care for our bodies through exercise and proper rest. As we do this our family life will be smoother and everyone will be happier. Here are some ideas to help you get your family choosing a healthier lifestyle. 1) Plan a family home evening lesson that … Continue reading →