Want to raise a functional human? Well, I'm no doctor or a professional but I hate the idea that you are required to have a college degree to be able to voice any opinion in this world. Here's my list of Do's to raise a functional family.
Meals: quit eating out, SIT DOWN as a family, and have supper together EVERY NIGHT. If your schedule doesn't allow it...Sorry, that means life is too busy for you and you need to adjust your priorities. Have your kids help meal plan and help prepare food or wash dishes by hand. These are life skills we should not let go untaught. If you as a parent are clueless on how to even do, well YouTube is a fantastic source on how to learn. Look into the statistics on child drug usage of families who don't sit down for supper together. Mindblowing. I really cannot believe the number of adults ive met who do not know how to feed themselves properly.
No cable: GASP, yes. Cancel your cable people. Cut that cord girl!!! I think we've been without cable for over 6 years now, not trying to flex but just saying. Seriously it's a waste of money and of your time here on Earth. The people in your little box don't care about you or your child's brain. Take the money you save from canceling it along with Netflix and other streaming services and put it in a fun money box. Take your kids on a weekend vacation a few hours away, Air BNB it up somewhere new. Play card games or whatever. Be a part of each other's lives.
Delete social media: Seeing a pattern here? Everything I'm telling you to get rid of is really affecting the PARENT and NOT the child. See where the problem is? It's not the kid but the adult who is failing our society.
Porn: Yeappppp I went there. As husband and wife, this even goes for those without children too, vow to each other to no longer subject yourselves to porn. It really builds a stronger relationship with your spouse. Reject the push for desensitizing your brain. Your mental health is in danger when you watch porn. Seriously look at the research. It's science bruh. It'll make a better you which in return will make a better kid. Plus you are supporting rapists and child pornography with every video you watch. Guess who the # 1 consumer of child pornography is...AMERICA. Protect your children by not allowing ANY pornography within your house. If that's really hard for you, get help.
Cancel Amazon: Teach your children to FIRST seek out small businesses before giving your money to a corporate monster. This is a hard task to follow. I know America gets this high when they see the UPS truck pull up. Yet that little bit of money you give to amazon isn't going to be returned to our economy but to China's. Support our economy and teach your children the importance of it. Find local sources for food. Visit your downtown shops. Those people put their heart and soul into every product they produce. Sure it's more expensive but the quality is greater. The high cost also may require you to save your money which is a solid lesson to teach your child, AND also may require you to buy less, which is ANOTHER lesson to be taught. Some people can't go a week ( or even a day) without an Amazon package and that literally makes me want to throw up.
Nature: That's it. Be IN nature, it's so easy and simple. Live in a big city? Take your kids to a park, have lunch in the grass. It's FREE! Take a day to visit a state park or national forest, go hike, do something together that gets everyone moving and outside breathing fresh air. Depression- GONE Anxiety- GONE. Super simple. I'm taking yall back to the basics here and I'm not reinventing the wheel. Go outside for a walk and let all those natural happy chemicals release into your brain. Kids need nature to thrive!
Schooling: Now this topic I will be a little more gentle on. I understand that in most families both parents "HAVE TO " work. I have some sympathy for those families, but very little. If you cant homeschool at least be actively engaged within your child's school and know what is really being taught. Every faculty member should know who you are, who your child is, and what your beliefs are. Research shows that children whose parents are actively involved with their teachers/ school system are more likely to become successful adults. If you don't have time to be actively involved in your child's school your priorities are misaligned and you're too busy. If you are homeschooling, Thumbs up to you, you are doing God's work every single day.
Reading: This one is for kids and adults. Reading expands the vocabulary and helps us learn human-like emotions, tendencies, and lessons through the eyes of characters and not ourselves. Valuable lessons at that. This lifelong hobby will give you countless experiences without ever leaving your couch. Reading also feeds the brain and helps get those synapses firing and helps with memory loss. It literally exercises your brain.
This is all purposeful parenting. Seems like a lot of no-brainers. But it is truly sad how America is parenting their children. Essentially social media influencers are raising our next generation. Today's teenagers are so lost because of what they have been exposed to already. Innocents stolen. Little tweaks within your home can go A LONG WAY. All it takes is a little time and dedication to your child. I feel like that's too much to ask for with today's society. Our elders can physically see a difference in children whose parents are purposeful vs those who are lost and not engaging as a family. Some of these tips are simple life skills. Some of these tips require major lifestyle changes, and if you feel like you can't live without amazon, porn, social media, and tv...You have a problem and should probably seek help before you imprint this kind of behavior onto your children or grandchildren. It is unnatural, regardless if it's acceptable in our society.
God is too good to let evil seep into our precious families. This is a good start in protecting our children. All it takes is just a little extra effort. Mother Teresa says it best " Want to change the world? Go home and love your children." It really is that simple. I love you guys, and thanks for sticking with me. Even if you don't have kids these are good rules to live by and they work so well for us. It seems that the past 10 years as we grow and mature as adults, the small little micro adjustments have really set us on a path of love and helped us grow a wholesome family.