By Drenda Keesee
What if, instead of allowing our kids to run around with their friends constantly, sending them away to camp, or letting them watch movies or play video games all the time this summer, we used their vacation time as an opportunity to start mending a broken family, or better yet, preventing one? Sure, it will take some sacrifice, a strong commitment, an unselfish investment, and consistent discipline, but the reward is worth the work.
The greatest way to keep your children on track is to provide them with a strong, communicating, loving family that knows how to pull away from others and protect their love for one another. It’s important to say you love each other, but it’s not enough. You have to demonstrate it by SPENDING TIME TOGETHER, by investing in one another. Here’s some ways you can do this:
- Have a family day once a week. Let a different family member choose the “perfect day” each week, keeping in budget, of course.
- Pray on family day, even if only for a few minutes. Remember: the attention span of children is only one minute per year of age.
- Plan a break away from everyone and everything except your spouse and children.
- Engage teens in the planning process. Let them help you with research, reservations, and ideas. Remember: Adventure is important, and can make you “way cool” to your teen. J
- Find something to do together. Nearly any activity done together can inspire communication.
Learn how to do family ‘God’s way.’ Read Drenda’s book, She Gets IT, available in bookstores and at drenda.com
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