Family Values

Let's keep our families together with some good old family values. Idol hands are truly the devil's workshop and we are not going to let satan steal our families any more!

1.    Eat at least one meal together. I am not legalistic in any way so listen carefully... at LEAST ONE MEAL TOGETHER. This means breakfast, lunch or dinner. It does not have to be dinner. Together means together. Together on the patio, together around the table, together around the TV, together around the slide at the park. TOGETHER.

2.    Listen more than you speak. Most spouses will not speaking if they are constantly corrected and/or spoken over. In the same matter, most kids who will not talk to their parents have been over corrected and/or not listened to. Yes, it's hard for anyone to just sit and listen to something they do not want to hear, but at what cost do you decide to not listen? How much is your marriage worth? What price tag do you put on each child's worth? PRICELESS, so let's bond.

3.    100% No more 50/50 rule, no more putting in your fair share but 100%. Everyone. 100% Put your all into being the best husband/wife and see what you get out of it. Put your all into being the best parent and see how strong your kids get. Put your all into being the best child, student, friend and see how awesome your relationships will grow. Be the best employer, employee, neighbor, etc. I hope you get this one. It's not what you take but what you give and everything you want will fall into place! 

4.    Go out of your way for what is real. Too many adults chase the 'almighty' dollar and forget about their kids until their kids no longer want them around. Their excuse it so they can give their kids everything. Sometimes everything is not what we need. Sometimes quality time is everything. Material objects get broken, fade, get stolen, age, but quality sows into lives forever. Do your kids need to spend a day with you? Can you see the warning signs? TAKE THAT DAY OFF OF WORK, KEEP THEM HOME FROM SCHOOL AT ALL COSTS. Their future holds more weight than any job or class at any time. You will be amazed at the growth in your household when your family not only sees but KNOWS you put them first.

Family Activities

At this time I am not prepared to go over all the states and countries activities so I will touch on some that will give you great ideas. Some free, but today not much is free. Please feel free to add in our comment area any additional ideas you have and make sure you say where that fun is located. Thank you for helping to build upon the community of the world!

1. Zoo. Not only your local Zoo, but look into others. I was amazed to see how many smaller Zoos were close by that I did not know about. The one thing I like about small Zoos is that you can see everything in one day and get less exhausted at the end of it. That means less chance of crankiness, LOL.

2. Animal Sanctuary. When searching for places in your area many places are referred to as 'sanctuary'. Example: Bird Sanctuary, Wolf Sanctuary, etc. These are some in Missouri. Use that term in your animal search in your area.

3. Parks. This includes but is not limited to:

  • water parks
  • drive through animal parks
  • seasonal light show parks
  • theme parks or amusement parks
  • fishing parks
  • skate board parks
  • bike trails
  • picnic sites

Some of these will be under the title Community Center or Recreation Center. Check those in your local area. Some may have things to offer that you would never otherwise know about. Pools, putt-putt, classes free to local residents, basketball courts and exercise rooms.

4. Museums. You will be surprised at the museums available in your area. Some are small and have no funds for advertising so you must search for them but they make great outings with the family. They are usually not crowded and staff is less stressed and more available for questions and conversation. After looking these up I found some close by to me that I had never heard about the 20+ years I had lived in one area. Wow! Now that we have the Internet you can find these places a lot easier. Start your search. One key is to reword your search such as the examples I have for parks.