A year ago I wrote about a wonderful book I had just read, called “Teaching Self-Government”.
I have really like the methods I learned in this book, but the last few months I have noticed my children’s obedience lacking, and the feeling in our home wasn’t so great. We weren’t talking to each other nicely, there was lots of sarcasm and back talking. I decided to re-read “Teaching Self-Government”, hoping to pick up something I had missed, and give myself a refresher.
At the start of the book, Mrs. Peck talks about having vision. I have always had a vision of what I want my family to be in the future. I can picture events, feelings, conversation, even the little faces of my future grand babies. In thinking of this vision, and reading Mrs. Peck’s thoughts on the subject I came to two conclusions: one, that my family will never be the family of my vision if we keep going the way we were; and two, if I never share my vision of the future with my children, how can they help work towards this vision.
Yesterday, for family night, Dadzoo and I talked to the kids about vision. We talked about what vision is, how we can use our vision to plan for our futures, that if we don’t have a vision of what we want, we don’t have anything to work towards.
I then shared my vision of what I would like our family to be in 20 years.
The kids thought it was great fun. We talked about how old they would be, we speculated on who would be married, how many kids would they have, what their life would be like and added that all into my vision, and we created OUR vision.
How will this help our family, I am not completely sure at this point, but what I do know, is that now we have a vision, something to look forward to, something to work towards, together.
Last year we wrote individual goals we wanted to accomplish for 2010 and sealed them in envelopes to read on New Year's day 2011. My kids want to do it again next week for FHE and I love your idea of having a vision. I think we'll incorporate that into our lesson!
Hi
What was important with your children and your husband was that you all were talking. With each other and together. That is a part of your vision. Communicating with your children when they are young, and they will always talk with you when they are older.
This kind of deliberate action will keep your family pointed in the right direction. The more deliberate we are, the more we get what we want. Well Done! Your family is inspiring!
Although we really never discussed as a family (when our older children were little) our future planning in depth, it has turned out so much better than imagined! What great girls our boys have married, and what great boys our girls have married.
Great idea to share your ideas and plans for the future with your family. It's the way things should be!