How to Do It
Interesting and informative snippets on how to keep family well-being going in your family. Keep watching as the postings change regularly. Have something of interest to share, send it to us anonymously.
This concludes the How To Do It suggestions taken from
“10 Small Steps to Being a Better Parent”
by Ron Taffel, PH.D., continued
Copyright 2004. Reprinted with permission from the August 1999 issue of Parents magazine
Copyright 2007 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
"9. Sometimes, just hang out together.
Many studies point to a disturbing fact: Even when families think they are spending time together, in reality Mom is at the computer, Dad is in the basement, one kid is in the den with his Game Boy , and another is in the living from, building with blocks. Yes, they are under the same roof, but they're nowhere near each other. Yet, quietly, unstructured time together is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kids.
Children tell me again and again that the times
they love most are when the whole family watches a video or plays a
board game together. Kids cherish simple moments of sitting
with other family members, doing not much of anything at all. .....
Once a week, find time to be together as a family in a way that's restful and comforting. Invite the kids to climb into bed with you on a Saturday morning and just lounge around for a half hour or so before the weekend frenzy kicks in. Or, one night a week, instead of rushing to clean up after dinner, linger with the whole family over dessert, the way you might if you went out to a restaurant.
10. Smile more.
And while you're at it, make a point of laughing more, too.
A smile is the most visible way we humans make ourselves and those
around us feel better. ....Research also shows that children,
especially very young ones, mirror our facial expressions. ....
Ask yourself everyday, "Have I smiled or laughed today at something my kids did or said? Have I found the humor in the ordinary business that has gone on between us?" So many of the moments that try a parent's soul center around everyday transitions - getting everybody out of the house in the morning or to dinner in the evening or to bed at night. A simple smile can break the tension and instantly improve the mood. If you sense that frowns have outnumbered the smiles on your face lately, change that picture immediately. Ask your 7-year-old if he's heard any new knock-knock jokes, or tell one yourself. While you're giving your 3-year-old her bath, stop thinking about the six other things you have to do, and just watch her race her plastic boats or feed her rubber duck."