Have you ever explained something clearly, only to be asked a question about the exact thing you just said? In that moment, you realize your message never truly landed. We’ve all experienced it—and it can be very frustrating. The truth is, active listening is often a blind spot, not only for the people we speak to, but for us as well. And if we’re honest, when was the last time we intentionally listened to truly [...]
If you haven’t seen WALL-E, the 2008 Disney Pixar film, you should. It’s a surprisingly thoughtful animated movie about a lonely little robot living on an abandoned Earth centuries into the future. At one point in the film, humans are living aboard a spaceship where every aspect of life has been automated and optimized for comfort. The humans are entertained, fed, transported, and protected—but disconnected, passive, and disengaged. Their comforts have quietly consumed their humanity. [...]
Loving intentionally is one of the most influential things we do as human beings. The love we give today carries into the future through our family. It can be expressed in many ways, yet it remains the greatest gift we can offer our spouse and children. With that in mind, we want to share a few practical ideas to help you express love within your family that are meaningful and lasting. Here are three specific [...]
What does it mean to be a Marr? This became one of the most important questions we faced as a young family. It wasn’t something we thought about when we got married. Coming from different cultures—Lis from Sweden and Dave from California—family identity wasn’t a concept either of us grew up with. But as we raised our three children from childhood into adulthood, we discovered that family identity played a significant role in our children’s [...]
Parenting is a year-round journey. However, we discovered that summer can be an especially productive and meaningful season in this journey. With school obligations and hectic schedules dialed back, the excitement of sunshine, family vacations, and backyard barbecues naturally brought our family together and created a more relaxed, receptive environment to address — or revisit — important areas in our parenting. Certainly, kids need downtime, but we decided to take advantage of our summers rather [...]
Early in our parenting journey, we made a decision about the kind of children we hoped to raise. We wanted kids who felt secure, demonstrated self-control, were emotionally regulated, able to focus and pay attention, and who were good listeners. These are essential life skills that help children succeed academically, socially, and in every aspect of life. There was also one more “little” thing that we knew was actually a big thing — we wanted [...]
Hey guys, this is Dave. In trying to come up with a topic for today’s letter, I was thinking back on all the things I thought were difference makers, you know, those actions on my part that stood out as a family builder. I did the ‘dad writes a note’ in the kids’ lunch sack, and that was really good, but Lis was the one who reminded me to do it. I ate dinner at [...]
Our mindset plays a powerful role in our happiness, relationships, and success. And in today’s world — filled with rapid change, constant comparison, and growing pressures — resilience is more important than ever and requires a lot of deliberate effort. Parents today are navigating challenges that didn’t exist a generation ago: social media pressures, academic expectations, busy schedules, and an always-connected world. Many families are feeling overwhelmed, and children are experiencing higher levels of stress, [...]
Last week, we launched the very first episode of the OneFamily Podcast! In our debut episode, we explore how something as simple as eating together can transform your marriage and family. Research shows that families who share meals just a few times each week experience stronger relationships, better communication, and improved emotional well-being. Yet in today’s busy world, meaningful mealtimes can easily slip away. We also share our personal journey — from hectic, grab-and-go dinners [...]
One of the greatest joys in parenting is when your child invites you into their private world. What is the private world? Generally speaking, it is the place within each of us where we hold our deepest thoughts, treasured memories, and most vulnerable feelings. It is the essence of who we are. Our private world is the space we usually share only with a spouse or our most trusted and closest friends. Interestingly, research in [...]