“You can do anything for 1 minute” is not just an easy phrase for parental encouragement, it’s a brick in the foundation of a child’s life. It isn’t long after babies become toddlers that parents should begin the long process of building character through self-discipline. Every era in childhood will present new opportunities for parents to develop in their children the ability to face the arduous ability of sticking with a task and persevering through [...]

Emotional control or self-discipline is being able to manifest the appropriate expression of our emotional state.  Our ability to manage our emotional responses is a lifelong skill that can define our character positively or negatively. Anger, frustration, and disappointment are a part of life as a child and as an adult.  There will always be times when these difficult emotions happen, but how we respond and express ourselves is the key to emotional maturity.  When [...]

Every other week the Howards, Shelly and Rich, and the Marrs, Lis and Dave, trade off writing a OneFamily Letter with the intent to nudge, influence, educate, support and, in small part, come alongside women and men who are hard at work in the job of life. On the whole, life can be…well, complicated. They don’t teach parenting, marriage, or being an adult in school. It is true that a small misconception of how “things [...]

Last week, in The Purposeful Father-Part One, we covered the first four things dads can do to build and strengthen the bonds of trust with his children based upon The Father’s Mandate teaching that has wonderfully impacted our family and marriage. A father must cultivate a sense of Family Identity A father must regularly demonstrate love to his wife A father must respect his child’s private world A father must give his children the freedom [...]

Father’s Day was this past weekend, we thought it would be great to re-examine a teaching that focuses on eight specific duties dads can intentionally implement that cultivate and strengthen the bonds of trust with his children. The Father’s Mandate lesson from Growing Kids God’s Way, by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, was an important catalyst for our marriage and for our kids. It gave Rich some practical ways to be more purposeful with the boys [...]

“Dano, (Later – Shelli and Kevin) this is our yard. When people come over or drive by, they’ll see this as the Marr house and they’re going to see the yard first. What kind of impression would they have of us Marrs if the yard was full of weeds and the grass, bushes, and trees were dead? They’d think that the Marrs don’t have standards of care. Maybe not in those words, but they’d think [...]

Have you ever been asked a question about the very thing you just communicated and you can tell your message is not getting through?  We’ve all been there and it can be frustrating.  Active listening may be a “blind spot” for those we are speaking with and for us as the listener as well.  If you’re honest, when was the last time you intentionally listened to comprehend meaning, to show love and honor to the [...]

For many of us, summer means big vacations, a series of camps, summer sports leagues, pool days, amusement parks and other excitement to make it memorable, meaningful and fun.  While all those activities are wonderful, a question many parents ask us is, “How do we sustain the ‘fun’ on a day-to-day basis for the bulk of the summer?” Creating a summer filled with lasting memories doesn't require grand gestures or expensive trips. It's about discovering [...]

“Sweetie pie, I hope you’re having a wonderful day so far. I just wanted you to know how much I love you. I am so proud of you. You always give your best effort and are such a great student. When I get back from work, you’ll have to tell me all about your day. I LOVE YOU!!!! Dad” The notes were short, handwritten, and hidden in their lunch bag, packed lovingly away by mom. [...]

Life is busy.  With school, kids sports and activities, our daily life can easily be characterized as hectic and overwhelming.  Picking up Chic-fil-a on the way from practice can easily become the norm, rather than the exception, for getting everyone in the family fed.  However, we discovered that sitting around the table together at meals can actually make a significant impact on your family. Current research shows that having a shared Family Mealtime has huge [...]