In today’s hectic, complicated world, many families find themselves without a “road map” for helping their kids avoid getting lost.
Might it be wise to sit down as a family and create a type of family mission statement… a set of core values that serves as a road map for behavior?
One parent described her approach:
We talked as a family about what types of values we feel proud to live by. Then we posted them on our refrigerator.
– Treating others the way we want to be treated
– Honesty
– Politeness
– Doing our best even when something is hard or boring
– Being healthy and safe
Our three year old needed a lot of help with these, but the older kids caught on quickly. We made sure to admit that we, as parents, would be held accountable for living by these values too!
This is a great tool for teaching self-discipline and problem-solving. Now we just say to our kids, “Feel free to do what you would like as long as it fits our family’s values.”
Does your family have a mission statement? If so, share it with us below! If not, I challenge you to sit down with your family this week and begin the process.
This post was adapted from Love and Logic Insider’s Edition with Dr. Charles Fay.