Tag Archives: Family

Free Trust In Parenting Lessons

Are you frustrated with how you communicate with your children. It doesn’t matter if they are 6, 16, 26, or 56.

The space we share with our children is precious and can be full of great memories.

The foundation of that space is love. It’s argued that a parent’s love is unconditional.

But love is not enough for obedience and success. In order for obedience, success, growth, and conflict resolution, a skill set equipped with trust, respect and effective communication skills are required.

Posted in Children, Family, Teenage Economics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

BOD Family

Think back over the last few financial discussions you had in your home.  When did they occur? Where did they occur?  Who was present? What was going on? The same questions apply to any sensitive topic in your home: children, intimacy, in-laws, or religion.

For most of us, we usually discuss such topics during a commercial on TV or between rounds with the children. We don’t put a lot of thought or effort into scheduling time to discuss matters of importance like our mortgage, our retirement, and most importantly our family relations. When was the last time you scheduled time just to spend with your spouse?

Posted in Communication, Family | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

3 Things Parents Should Never Do…Part 3

Three Things Parents Should Never Do When Communicating with Teenagers

Part 3

There are three things a parent should avoid when communicating with their precious minds full of mush (teenagers).

  1. Never seek agreement
  2. Never justify
  3. Never blame

Blaming can often been seen as a hierarchal struggle for survival in a family, from the oldest sibling down to the youngest child. In our family the dog is in play and some years ago, blaming escalated to such a level that Cheri and I discovered a resident ghost named Ralph causing all sorts of mischief in our home.

Posted in Communication, Family | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nature vs. Nurture

The memory of a broken mother ever lingers in my mind as this wonderful woman mourned the apparent lost soul of her son. Such a memory seems to never leave my mind because the person in my memory is constantly changing and another mother takes center stage.

There are broken hearts all over the world as a result of children making harmful decisions. Parents who blame themselves are often overwhelmed with sorrow and shame and sadly, they share their misery with others.

Posted in Family | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Christmas Music: The Social Quadrant

The 2008 Family First Concert

Every year for the past 8 seasons, we have provided Christmas joy and music to our Senior Citizens and their families around the Gig Harbor/Tacoma community.  Four years ago, Chris and Julie Thomson, who own Family First, asked us to perform for the Assisted Living Extended Families and it’s become a tradition ever since.

This years, Chris and Julie arranged a sumptuous dinner with music and Santa Claus for all of their patients and their extended families.  We had approximately 160 folks show up for the festivities.  Here are some pictures:

Posted in Family | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment