I have never been married so I am
not sure if any type of pamphlet is issued with the marriage license but I
would suggest that one of the first steps in changing our behaviours is to
build awareness around the responsibility of being a parent. Here are some things
that should be in the pamphlet:
·
What are the values and principles you would
teach your children? Recommendations include being kind to others, being
unselfish, being truthful, respecting others, respecting other people’s
property (i.e., do not steal), always do your best and be humble
·
Ensure you have one meal, every day, as a family
where conversation is part of the meal
·
Ensure that you ask your partner and your child
how their day went
·
Never go to bed without telling your partner and
your child that you love them
It is perhaps not appropriate to
include spiritual advice because that can be off-putting to many people
regardless of their belief so I am still pondering a way around that red flag.
However I do think there is value in guiding couples to explore the possibility
of whether they would choose to be in a church, or would meditation be an
alternative they would consider in order to mitigate their stress or other
alternatives to nurture their spiritual
capacity.
I listened to a celebrity talk
about what he does on Thanksgiving and he said that he loads up his plate and
sits on the sofa to watch the game. I was shocked. Americans make such a big
deal about Thanksgiving, so much so that it seems to take precedence over
Christmas, that I could not believe that this person was not sitting at a table
with his family! It’s one thing to see Cher and her girls in “Mermaids” lounge
around to eat in a movie because you know they are dysfunctional but to
understand that most people don’t eat at the table is appalling to me. Studies
show that families who eat together regularly are happier than those who don’t.
So what are your values? What
would you change? What would you like to talk about?
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