Raising a family is hard work. It’s not a weekend project. It’s years of diaper changing, potty training, cooking, laundry, helping with homework, music lessons and ball games, boy friend/girl friend drama. That’s all happening while trying to earn a living.
Andersen Thanksgiving 2015
Add to that regular one-on-one time with kids, finding time to date your spouse, having regular weekly family times. Then throw in birthday parties, family vacations, and holidays. Sheesh.
We’ve all done it. Rushed through our day, pushed ourselves further than we should, and looked so forward to getting the kids in bed so we can have some peace and quiet.
But is that really what we want to do?
Courtesy 123RF/Cathy Yeulet
Do we intend on shuttling our kids through their day and then at bedtime just popping them in bed with a quick kiss?
Our family loves the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. It’s filled with Andersen family memories and traditions. And we’ve got a bunch of them. I’m often saddened when I realize how many families have missed out on all that traditions can add to family spirit and culture.
Courtesy 123RF/antikainen
Some traditions are common to many; e.g., Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas trees. Some are handed down for generations. Others start with something unexpected yet are significant enough to be repeated.
Just the thought of taking a road trip anywhere with a big family can be overwhelming. A roundtrip drive of several hours or more in the car each way is a big enough deal—add a carload of little ones to perhaps a full day of travel and you’ve got a “Serenity now!” moment!
Courtesy 123RF/Tatiana kostareva
Obviously these trips will require a lot of flexibility, planning, and sheer motivation. But once you get past the initial thought of all being locked in a moving vehicle with each other for an extended period of time, it can actually be a fun experience for the family.
You are making a new recipe for dinner tonight, hoping to impress your husband. But you realize you don’t have two of the ingredients. Now you will have to load up the kids and run to the store.
Courtesy 123RF/Dmitry Kalinovsky
The last time you attempted taking all of them for just a short shopping trip, you wound up listening to kids squabble, constantly saying no to their many requests of things to add to the shopping cart, running short of cash at the checkout, and having to threaten discipline for too many misbehaviors.
People see kids differently. Many see welcome members of the family. Some see an unexpected “accident”. Some see the carriers of the family name—and family business.
As a young dad, I got a glimpse of a different view of kids that changed me forever. It came through a song written hundreds of years ago by Israel’s King David. It’s found in Psalm 127:3-5 and says,
This isn’t going to be a screen-bashing post. I do admit to a love-hate relationship with technology. I get giddy about any new Apple product. I spend hours a day before a screen. I also get really agitated at times from digital overload and frustrated when things don’t work right.
Courtesy 123RF/kzenon
But it’s our reality—we live in an increasingly digital world. There are pros and cons to our screens. You shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
For many stay-at-home moms, the question, “What do you do?” is an awkward one. The reply may be a sheepish, “I’m a stay at home mom.” That makes me sad. My desire is for every mom—stay-at-home or not—to confidently celebrate being a mom as their highest calling in life.
Courtesy 123RF/goodluz
After I quit my teaching job to stay at home with my firstborn, I too struggled with my own self-assurance. Was this new role of mine in raising one just as important as my previous profession in teaching many?
The best single-word definition for leadership is influence. And I don’t believe any position has greater influence than that of a parent.
Courtesy 123RF/goodluz
Yet influence is more than just telling someone what to do. Too many parents simply wield their authority and bark out commands. To truly influence your child for good, you’ll have to lead by example. You have to go first.
Halloween’s coming. Whether your kids do the traditional trick or treating, or attend an alternative event like Fall festival or harvest party, they’re going to be getting more candy and sugary treats than should be legal. A pretty big win for any kid.
Courtesy 123RF/David Smith
Most are familiar with the history of trick-or-treat. Over 2,000 years ago, the Celts celebrated their New Year on the evening of Oct. 31. A festival began and continued into the next day honoring the lord of death, Samhain.
