2. Our home environment
• make your home a place that your children want to come back to, where:
• they are free to be individuals not in a straightjacket of conformity
• there are boundaries but not legalism
• there is discipline but not authoritarianism
• there is more encouragement than criticism
• there is plenty of fun and laughter
• there is more gratitude than complaining and blaming
• there are apologies and forgiveness and the opportunity for fresh starts
• faith is more easily caught than taught
o children initially form their picture of God from the way their parents treat them show unconditional love
3. Involving other people
• the wider family
• other role models
4. Passing on our values about money
• pressures on children and parents from advertising and the celebrity culture
• give them choices with money - choosing how much to save, spend, and give away
• teach generosity, good management, and honesty
• help them learn the value of experiencing delayed gratification
• model a healthy attitude towards possessions
If a relationship is to thrive and keep growing, we must have regular time together.
At the very least, plan to spend 1-2 hours alone together each week; to rekindle romance, to have fun, to talk together about your feelings (e.g., your hopes, fears, worries, excitements.)
We call this marriage time.
Marriage time should have all the connotations of a “date” together.
The benefits of marriage time
keeps the fun and romance alive in our relationship
deepens our understanding and appreciation of each other
ensures we communicate regularly on a meaningful level
Plan time together
It doesn’t happen automatically. Find the best time for you and book it in, just like you would any other social or business appointment.
Write it on your calendars e.g.; Monday evening, umarriage time” or Wednesday lunchtime, marriage time.”
If you are very busy, plan marriage time several months in advance.
