Category: Families Growing Together
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Families Growing Together: The Gratitude Bond
by Margaret Evans, Director of Lifespan Learning Why is gratitude so hard to teach? As children, we are taught gratitude as a social habit. We are encouraged to continue in the hope that it becomes more than just something we should do. At some point, we hope that ourselves and our children recognize that gratitude…
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Families Growing Together: Hope Can Be Fickle
by Margaret Evans, Director of Lifespan Learning A long time ago, I used to hope that there would be no hill that I had to march up to get to school every morning. I’d lay in bed and say “God, could you get rid of that hill, just today? Just this once?” Of course it…
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Families Growing Together: Finding Authenticity
by Margaret Evans, Director of Lifespan Learning Does your family need to come out? Are you struggling to keep up appearances? Coming out used to be an term to establish young women as acceptable and proper in society. Now, it has so much more meaning: authenticity, hope, realness. Envious thoughts can soon follow as we…
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Families Growing Together: Is Discipline a Struggle in Your Family?
by Margaret Evans, Director of Lifespan Learning Discipline is a touchy subject in many parenting circles. It is common for there to be a plethora of ideas and practices around the adherence to discipline within the home. One of the struggles with discipline is that it requires some level of power to be relinquished. Parents…
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Families Growing Together: Where Are the Rituals Within Your Family Unit?
by Margaret Evans, Director of Lifespan Learning Does your family have special rituals? Perhaps some are centred around bed time routines? When I was young, my grandmother had a cottage on the Lake of Bays. We would travel the 4+ hours to make it there for Friday nights. When my cousin was visiting from out…
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Families Growing Together: Listening Around The Dinner Table
by Margaret Evans, Director of Lifespan Learning Have you ever asked a child what they want to be when they grow up? Many adolescents answer with a career: a teacher, doctor or lawyer. Even from small children, we get answers that show an association between who they are and what they will do. Once in…
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Families Growing Together: Uncovering Hidden Opportunities for Shared Learning
by Margaret Evans, Director of Lifespan Learning I have heard numerous stories over the years of parents saying or doing something and their little one repeating that action, much to their chagrin. Monkey can see or hear but monkey should not do. Being aware of what you say and how you act around your children…
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Families Growing Together: Teaching Children About Doing
by Margaret Evans, Director of Lifespan Learning The work of doing is just that: work. So, we often balk at the idea of added work in our lives. We complain about our busy schedules and tired feet and yet, ironically, we tend to lend ourselves to ‘busyness’ as a tool for distraction. It is easier…
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Families Growing Together: Facing The Everyday Challenge
by Margaret Evans, Director of Lifespan Learning My community of religious educators has an ongoing conversation about “Full Week Faith”: how can faith and spirituality be practiced everyday of the week in households? Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Eid al-Adha, Yule, Kwanzaa, or not much at all, there is a still moment somewhere within the…
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Families Growing Together: What Does The Voice of Your Family Say?
by Margaret Evans, Director of Lifespan Learning Have you experienced that inner voice? Perhaps you hear your mother’s voice in the back of your head saying, “That is a TERRIBLE idea!” Others might hear a positive voice enthusing, “You Got This!” We’ve all heard those voices. We know their helpful spirit or their hindering negativity.…