There is Hope for Family Today

What kind of legacy are you leaving for your kids? Our greatest calling as a parent is leaving a spiritual legacy for our kids. How do we do this with the culture we live in today? There is hope!

The first workshop I attended at Hearts at Home was led by Dr. Jim Burns. The title was Teaching Kids Lasting Morals and Values. Dr. Burns started the workshop by sharing the crises our youth face today. Despite the crises, there is hope! In this post, I will share some points from the workshop about how we can make a difference in our families.

Integrity

Healthy families model integrity. In Proverbs 10:9a, we read “The man of integrity walks securely.” We need to make sure our families are not child focused. Also, Dr. Jim encouraged us to be intentional about the marriage relationship.

Present

There is power in being there for your kids. They see this as a sign of caring and connectedness. Our kids will feel secure by our presence.

A sense of A.W.E.

In our families, we need to express affection, warmth, and encouragement. I really like this acronym that Dr. Burns shared. Our kids need 8-10 meaningful touches a day to help them thrive. The tone of our home makes a big difference. Is it filled with warmth and encouragement?

Positive Communication

Communication is always present in our homes. The key is making sure it is positive. This expresses love for our children. Dr. Burns reviewed the five love languages of Words of Affirmation, Quality time, Gifts, Acts of Service and Physical Touch. He encouraged us to make sure we are speaking love to our kids.

Play

Play is a necessary ingredient for a close-knit family. Dr. Burns shared that there is nothing like play to bring about family togetherness and communication. I agree wholeheartedly!

The culture our youth are being raised in is so different from what we knew. Instead of letting fear overtake, we need to remember there is hope. Healthy Families model integrity, are present, have a sense of A.W.E., create positive communication and play together. Our family is a place where we can make a difference in our world today!