The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.
~Erma Bombeck
Its seems most of us give our families the worst of ourselves and colleagues or mere strangers the best of ourselves. When it comes down to it, our families are the ones we love the most, so lets turn this around and start changing the way we interact with our families.
1. Listen – Listen when your kids tell you about their day, don’t ask and keep working on the computer, really listen, give them your full attention. They deserve it. The same goes with your spouse, listen to their every concern and how life is treating them.
2. Praise – Give praise to your kids and spouse for the things they are doing. Every person deserves praise and every person has something that they can be praised for. Try to always think of the good in others.
3. Give Time – Give of your time. Spend time with your family. Watch a movie together, sit down for dinner together, talk about your day. Help them with their homework.
4. Teach – Teach your kids how to love. By loving them you are showing them how to love others.
5. Share – Be willing to share even your most prized possessions with your family.
6. Laugh – Laughing is good for the soul. Laughter provides a a physical and emotional release. Laughter connects us with our family.
7. Defend – Stand up for your family when someone puts them down. Be there hero.
8. Kiss & Hug – Always give you family members hugs or kisses or both everyday. Show them affection and make sure they feel loved.
9. Say I Love You – Never forget to say I Love You when you leave or they leave, if something happened to them and you were to never see them again, having your last words be ones of love will forever be with you. Everyday tell your family you love them.
10. Love – Above all else, show your family the love and respect they deserve!