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      What It Means to be Family Oriented

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      Family first seems to be a motto for many, but do they really mean it? What does it mean to put your family first and be family oriented? We all want more time with our families and we want to be there for the special moments as well as the family night dinners, but work and other life commitments can make that a challenge sometimes. Why is being family oriented important anyway? Here I will answer those questions and address those challenges. I will talk about the meaning of being a family oriented person, why it is important, and how to become more centered around your family.
      What Is Family Oriented?

      What does it mean to be family oriented? Simply put, a person who’s family oriented never loses sight of the importance of their family. Yes, other commitments may take them away at times, but they always focus on maintaining a strong presence in their family.
      What is another way of saying family oriented? Synonyms are family based, family focused, and family centered. By any name, it refers to someone who has their family at the heart of all that they do and all of the decisions that they make. It is someone who considers the well being of the family as a unit and thinks about maintaining that.

      Why Is Being Family Focused Important?
      A family oriented man or woman goes further than just being present for special occasions and important moments, they are mentally and emotionally present as well. It is in this way that we maintain our family bonds that hold us together.
      Making sure you’re home for your child’s birthday party won’t mean anything if you spend the whole party on the phone talking about work. Instead, it means putting the phone away so that you can focus on your child and their happiness during the party.
      Being family centered is important because there are so many distractions in this modern world and if we don’t make a true effort to protect the thing that is most important to us, family, it can be lost. A loving family is not a given. It takes effort to maintain it. Growing anything takes work and consistency, especially children! Love is a verb. We have to make connecting to our spouse and our children a priority.

      This quote illustrates the point that we must actively care for what we love.

      “Love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep on watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it.”
      ― John Lennon

      5 Ways to Be A More Family Oriented Person
      How do you become family oriented? Being a more family oriented person may seem like a challenge in your busy life, but it doesn’t have to be. A few simple choices can bring you and your family closer together.
      1. Be There for The Important Moments
      You may not make every daytime school event or every baseball game, but do your best to schedule the important moments, like the school play or the baseball playoff game. Be there for the ones that really matter. And if you promise to make it to something, keep your promise; it shows your child that you love them and you’re committed to their happiness.
      2. Schedule Family Time
      Plan regular family time every week. Choose a night when everyone’s home and make it game night or pizza night or movie night. Or change your family time theme every week. It doesn’t matter what you do only that you do it together. Turn off the electronic devices and connect with each other face-to-face for some quality time. 
      3. Show Your Love
      Your family doesn’t need you to buy them a lot of gifts or clear an entire day every week for them, they just want to know that they’re loved, appreciated, and important. Leave a note of encouragement for your child on a day when they have a big test. Make hot chocolate and snuggle on the couch when your child has had a bad day. And don’t forget words and actions of love for your spouse.
      4. Be an Active Listener
      You know that feeling when you’re trying to tell someone something important and they’re clearly not listening? Don’t be that listener. Give your family your attention when they talk to you. Put the phone down, turn down the volume on the TV, and give them your full attention. Make eye contact, ask relevant questions, and engage them in conversation. Being a good listener for 5 minutes is more important than being a distracted listener for 30. Let your family be the center of your world for at least a few minutes each day!
      5. Practice Self-Care
      A little time to yourself may seem counteractive to your goal of being family oriented, but it’s not. A little time to yourself to decompress and unwind allows you to be more present for the people you love. Don’t forget to take care of your own needs so that you can take care of the people you love.
      Conclusion
      Don’t take family for granted. It is a sure fire way to create distance from those you love. Frederick Douglass once said, “It is easier to easier to build strong children than repair broken men.” I would add to that, it is easier to care for your spouse each day, than repair a broken marriage. So start today and put your family at the center of your heart. Know they are important and they happiness and well-being are tied to your own happiness and well-being.
      Being family oriented doesn’t mean spending every waking moment of every day with your family. All you really need to do is regularly prioritize family time and make the time you spend together matter.
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      Healthy Families Do These 5 Things

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      “I have a family now. There’s no time to exercise and eat right!” Sound familiar? Unfortunately, I bet it does because it is a very common excuse. However, it’s worrisome.  Sure, kids change your life but you mold theirs! Bringing kids up in a house where exercise and good nutrition take a back-burner to videogames and T.V. dinners will create unhealthy habits that’ll stick with your kids for the rest of their lives.  Healthy habits ultimately offer the foundation for happiness so that you can enjoy each day without worrying about your health and you are free to pursuing your dreams. With that in mind, here 5 habits of healthy families that we can all adopt for the best version of ourselves.

      5 Habits of Healthy Families:
      Healthy habits are important to keeping our bodies healthy. Childhood obesity is no joke. Kids with poor nutrition are more likely to:
      – Do badly in school– Develop diabetes, asthma, high-blood pressure and a slew of other health problems– Have low self-esteem and, worst of all– Die at a much earlier age than their health-conscious peers
      Getting your family on the right diet and exercise track is the one of the most important things you can do as a parent. A family who’s healthy together, stays together. What steps can you take to kick your family out of an unhealthy routine? Here are five habits healthy families got into.
      Rise and Shine
      Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, Christmas Day—wake up at the same time and wake up together. Whether your kids are five or fifteen, getting into a habit of rising and shining synchronously will get your internal clocks ticking at a healthy rhythm. Getting your body on a set sleep schedule seven days a week, 365 days a year, will give you more energy, mental stamina and lead to a longer life. Lead by example and get your kids on an eight-hour-a-night sleep pattern, rewarding them with a healthy, delicious family breakfast every morning.
      Take Turns Choosing Meals
      The kids want McDonalds, you’re dying for a burrito and your spouse is ready to settle for whatever leftovers are in the fridge. Families rarely agree on what’s for dinner, so stop trying to please everyone and start delegating. Make some ground rules— no fast food, each meal has to have veggies, protein and grains, and eating out can only happen, say, once a week—and then draft up a “Meal Wheel” with everyone’s name on it.
      Tuesday, little Johnny picks dinner. Wednesday, it’s your turn. Tomorrow your spouse is in charge and on Friday, Susie gets to map it out.
      Getting the entire family involved in the decision-making process will make dinner more fun while putting health at the forefront.  Be sure to try cooking homemade meals and limit processed foods.
      Work Out Together
      Whether you plan to go hiking once a week or take a karate class as a family, you need to make exercise a group activity. A great way to build this habit is by getting the whole family up—like I suggested above—and going for a run (or walk) together every morning. Exercising in the morning is proven to reduce stress and increase energy, and it’ll start you off with a great feeling of togetherness every day.

      Plan “Off” Days
      Just because you’re getting your family’s health together doesn’t mean you have to be mean about it. Plan a night once a week when everyone gets to indulge. Maybe “Sundae Saturdays,” when you watch a movie as a family and prepare a healthy family movie night snack; or “Whatever Wednesdays,” when two hours of T.V. and a healthy (but indulgent) comfort food is acceptable.
      Emotional well-being is an often ignored, yet crucially important, part of overall health. Getting your family in the routine of spending a little designated kick-back time together will bring you closer and make staying healthy that much more rewarding.
      Walk And Talk
      Open lines of communication between you, your spouse and your kids are the foundation of a healthy family dynamic. Having weekly, or even daily, catch-up sessions—where everyone gets to share their worries, gripes, accomplishments and silly jokes—is an excellent habit for any family. Why not turn it into an excellently healthy habit, and take a stroll while you and your loved ones bare your souls?
      Conclusion
      Give one of these ideas for healthy families a whirl. Not thrilled with anything on the list above? Then let my suggestions inspire you to draft up your own healthy habit for you family. Whatever you do, just make sure you do it. You owe your family a healthy you, and your kids deserve a great health role model.
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      Family Goals Worth Setting

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      You set goals for your personal achievements, goals for your work, and goals for fixing up your home so why wouldn’t you set goals for your family? Goal setting is a great practice that keeps you aiming higher and achieving more. It is hard to get somewhere if you don’t know where you are going. Family goals are worth setting because they help unite everyone under a mission and provide a roadmap for how to get there.
      Family life can be stressful and overwhelming if the whole family isn’t being supportive of one another. Everybody is moving in different directions, doing their own thing, making their own plans; when do you find time to take care of what matters most, your family? That’s were family goal setting can come in to help make sure everyone is playing for the same team.

      What are Family Goals?
      There are two types of goals you can set as a family. You can set goals for things you want to do together like how to spend family nights and vacation time. Or, you can set goals for how you want to work together as a family. For instance, you can create a goal to give everyone the same amount of screen time so there’s no more arguing over whose turn it is at the computer.
      Setting family goals requires the cooperation of the entire family to be successful.
      Why Family Goals are Important
      Happy families don’t just happen by chance, they take work, focus, healthy habits, and decision making. As the parent, it is your job to guide your family and create a loving and supportive home. While everyone participates in reaching the goals, the goals originate with your decisions about what you want for your family.
      Once goals are created and everyone’s on board with working together, it creates a family bond that builds trust, love, and respect.

      How to Set Family Goals
      Setting goals doesn’t need to be difficult, but it does require some decision making about what’s important to you. Your family goals should reflect your family values.
      1. Decide What You Want for Your Family
      This is a time to come together as parents and decide what you want for your family. What do you want to achieve together over the next several months, the next year, the next few years? These goals can have an end result like “we want to take a cross country road trip” or be ongoing goals like “we want our children to show each other respect.”
      2. What Would You Like to Copy or Avoid
      Think about other families you know, or even families you watch on TV, what do they do that you want your family to do as well. What do they do that you want to avoid? Look for examples of things you like or don’t like in other families and set your goals accordingly.
      3. What are Your Challenges as a Family
      Where do you see your family struggling? What do you wish your family did better? The answers to these questions will help you define goals that you want to set.
      4. Don’t Forget the Most Important Goals
      Keeping your family bonded, healthy, and happy should be at the top of your family goal setting. Be sure to set goals that include fitness, healthy habits, encouragement, appreciation, gratitude, and being social together.
      Family Goal Setting Worksheet
      You may also find this Family Goal Setting worksheet helpful, you can print the pdf here or pin the image below for later.

      Family Goals Examples
      These family goals examples may inspire you in creating your own goals. Use these examples to get you started thinking about things that you want to achieve as a family.
      1. Be Active in Your Church – attend weekly services and participate in church events.
      2. Deal with Conflict – set a goal that will help your kids work through conflict resolution in a mature and responsible manner.
      3. Create a Family Financial Plan – that includes savings, investments, education, travel, etc. You might like to use this family financial plan workbook to help you.
      4. Generate Sufficient Income – fights over money can lead to family stress and divorce so this is an important goal. Come up with ways that you can easily increase your household income and reduce spending.
      5. Maintain Open Communication – when your kids feel safe telling you anything, they’ll be more truthful and open with you.
      6. Work/Life Balance – set a goal of the maximum hours you’ll work in a day or a week to give you work/life balance.
      7. Family Health and Fitness – how will you work together as a family to eat healthy and stay fit.
      8. Family Night– set a goal to make sure you have at least one family night a week where you do something fun together like watch a movie or play a game.
      9. Family Meals– set a goal to enjoy a certain number of meals together as a family without any distractions.
      10. Extended Family Time– decide what works best for your family according to where people live. Maybe a monthly get together would be a nice goal or a yearly vacation if they are far away.
      Conclusion
      Family goals are a great way to create a solid foundation for your family. Working together will build mutual respect and trust as well as a strong family bond. As your kids get older and they can participate more in helping to reach goals, the family goals will evolve and change. That is a wonderful part of the process to watch the growth as you move from accomplishing small goals together to taking on larger challenges.
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      How To Have A Family Meeting [Template Included]

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      A family meeting is a great way to keep your family bonded. You can discuss family rules, upcoming events, and share information that everyone needs to know. But unless you have a family meeting agenda, everyone will be off-topic and not paying attention, making it a big waste of time. That is why I have included a family meeting template here to help make sure it stays productive.

      Why Have a Family Meeting?
      Most importantly, it puts everyone on the same page and the whole family will know the same information. No one can say “I didn’t know” or “Nobody asked me”. No excuses! If there’s a new house rule, chores, vacation being planned, or an event everyone has to attend, the family meeting is the time to share. This way you can make sure everyone knows what’s going on and expected of them.
      Family meetings are also a great bonding tool for your family because everyone has the opportunity to connect and share. It reminds everyone that their family is there to support them and help them.
      Additionally, family meetings teach your kids important life skills. By being exposed to the challenges of parenting, kids can learn what the real world is like and how to deal with their problems in a productive way. Meeting as a family can teach communications skills, problem-solving, planning, conflict resolution, and even budgeting.
      Lastly, family meetings help your kids build their confidence as they learn to speak up for themselves. This regular scheduled meeting time gives your kids the opportunity to say what they think and express how they feel without judgement or punishment.

      How to Have A Family Meeting
      1. Set a regular day and time. This will help everyone know when they need to be present, no exceptions. They can mark it on their calendar for a regular time and day each week. 
      2. Keep it positive. Help your family stay focused on the positive. Ask your kids to share something good that happened over the week.
      3. Moderate, but don’t control. As discussion run off-course, you might need to reign your family in and keep them focuses, but don’t control the entire conversation. Let everyone participate with their own thoughts and ideas.
      4. Give everyone a chance to run the meeting. Taking a leadership role will help your kids build self esteem. Allow them to take turns calling the meeting to order and going through the family meeting agenda. I have provided a family meeting template below that you can print and use as your weekly agenda.
      5. Don’t make it all business. In addition to the important family stuff, having something fun in the agenda will keep your family engaged. Create a fun family tradition for the meetings or have a fun question everyone has to answer at the end.
      6. Post reminders. If you make new rules or discuss future plans, be sure to write them down and post them where everyone can see as a reminder of what was discussed.
      7. It’s okay to have a difference of opinion. Not everyone will agree, but finding a compromise can make everyone feel like they got something they wanted.
      Family Meeting Template Printable

      The image version of the family meeting template is above or you can use the pdf version.
      Hosting regular family meetings, making them fun, and encouraging your kids to participate, will help build their confidence while also creating a family bond.
      If you haven’t already planned your first family meeting, get out your calendar and get add it on there. It’s a great way to bring your whole family together!
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      in Advice & Features

      Family Stressed to Family Best

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      By Professor Jeff Willie | Contributor Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now with the flare-up of racial unrest that is plaguing our nation—and by some accounts, racial unrest is considered a pandemic due to its global significance—we have seen more stress in the home. It is highly likely the initial barrage of […] More

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      in Parenting

      The Importance Of Family Values

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      Family values aren’t usually something most people think about until they need to teach their kids a lesson in response to an unwanted behavior. However, the importance of family values should not be overlooked. Thinking about what your family values are and instilling them in your children early, can teach your kids how you expect […] More