Being there for your kids - Is Your Family Surviving or Thriving?

Episode Date: March 19, 2019

It's easy to get by. You know, function, do the bare minimum, get to the next day without drama. That's called surviving. But can you work on raising your family's standard from surviving to thriving? That would be making time for each other, mattering in each other's lives, looking forward to quality time together. We all tend to get in a rut and just do what we are comfortable doing. We can, however, step just a little bit our of our comfort zone and do the unexpected. Things eating together as a family, with no electronics at the table, planning a family game night, talk about how our day's went, talk to each other about our hopes and dreams for the future.  These gestures are the hallmark of a thriving family life. When you move from surviving to thriving, you make the most of the precious time you all have together.

Hi, I'm Dr. John Robinson, and this is Teachable Moments. I have a question for you, does your family have life abundantly? In the Bible, John 1010, Jesus says, I've come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. I see that verse both as an encouragement for our faith, but also as a challenge to live our lives as he would have us live. As parents, does your family simply live together, or are you encouraging the family to live abundant? It's dinner time. Mom ordered pizza and it will be delivered in 20 minutes. Sally is watching YouTube on her computer in her room. Jake is gaming on his computer. Husband Al is grumbling over the TV news broadcaster's opinion about today's news. The doorbell chimes and mom retrieves the pizza

from the delivery person without leaving a tip. She yells, dinner's here. Her family paused their electronics, retrieve slices of pizza and return to their activities to eat alone. This scenario plays out in families across America every day. These folks are having life. The parents are meeting family needs. Nobody's fussing. Everybody's content, if not happy. According to the book of John, 10-10, this family is having life, and that is surviving. But Jesus calls us to have life abundantly. That is thriving. As parents in your family, are you meeting your children's functional needs only, or are you encouraging an abundant family life? It's dinner time. Mom's had an equally rough day and asks family members if they would mind having pizza for dinner.

The children and husband Al each stop their activities long enough to answer mom's question and to suggest toppings and extras. In 20 minutes, the doorbell chimes, and the pizza is delivered. Mom asks Sally to set the table while Mom calls Sally's brother and dad from their activities. Dad comes right away, but mom needs to playfully pry Jake away from his gaming. With the family gathered at the dinner table, an electronics free zone in the home, Al blesses the food and the family digs in amidst playful banter and inquiries about the day's activities. Most of us do functional very well.

The challenge, however, is to live your life and to encourage your family to live life abundantly. I'm Dr. Jonathan C. Robinson, licensed clinical psychologists and Christian author, and this has been Teachable Moments. Teachable Moments, Building Blocks of Christian Parenting is available online at Amazonbooks.com and in local and national. bookstores. More on Dr. Robinson at TMC-P-I-N-C.com.