I love to vacation with these crazies! Not only do we have so much fun, but its always good to get away and recharge! You know what I love most? It's family time...just the 8 of us. Our family is far from perfect. We all make mistakes. We all need to say we’re sorry from time to time. Our vacations are always full of these moments. Sometimes Joseph and I just look at each other, high five, and literally laugh because we did it...we juggled it all and had fun together.
Here's a few secrets we've learned along the way to raising kids:
1. You Have to Be Intentional About Parenting.
Read parenting books, listen to podcast, seek advice from mentors. If something isn’t working, make a healthy change to find what does work. What works for one child may not necessarily work for another.
2. Let Them Be Individuals.
One of our family values is individualism because we believe God wired and gifted each of us differently. Sometimes it is easy for us as parents to want our children to live up to our ideals or dreams rather than cultivating who they are as an individual to be all God created them to be. We have 6 kids ranging from early elementary to a young adult all with different personalities and passions. Keeping this value at our forefront has helped in keeping focus.
3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.
Ask questions. Listen. Talk about nothing. Talk about everything. Here’s the catch: sadly, no communication is still communication. If your child isn’t talking, find out why and find a way to bridge that gap. Pray that God will open those lines of communication. Again, be intentional. If you are too busy with work or consumed with your own life, overtime, your kids get the message and you lose the relationship comes from intentional parenting.
~Aime
Comments