Tips for Family Communication in 7 1/2 minutes

We rarely hesitate to send our children to public school for 7 1/2 hours every day. After all it is required by law that we educate our children! As a homeschooling family, I admit, we didn't always spend a full 7 1/2 hours in formal educational exercises; but we probably spent more than 7 1/2 hours every day in formal and informal educational activities combined. Our children were with us all day, every day, and every moment became a teachable moment. Because we were homeschooling we were used to sitting down in a classroom or formal type setting to teach our children and we had the blessed privilege of beginning with Scripture and teaching everything - from language and grammar and law and science and medicine and history – based on the foundation of God’s Word. In addition, we read the Bible together every day of the week. But for most families, sitting down for formal teaching and training as a family could feel uncomfortable and unnatural. How many days a week does your family sit together (not in front of the TV or with video games and iPhones in hand!)? Just 7 ½ minutes? What if your family spent 7 1/2 minutes every day sitting down together at the kitchen table and offering instruction, guidance, encouragement? What if you read seven Bible verses to each other during the 7 1/2 minutes? What if you used these 7 1/2 minutes to cover very important topics for the health of your family? What do your children need? Spending 7 1/2 minutes around the table and asking them what they need will provide you with the materials or with the subjects that you need to be teaching your family. Beginning with Scriptures will keep you focused on pleasing God first and honoring Him in everything you teach your children each day. Try this for 7 1/2 days, for 7 1/2 weeks, or more! Here is a RHEMA Counseling TOOL to guide you. These are seven dimensions of wellness of the family that could be addressed during the 7 1/2 precious minutes. BELIEFS: B is for body – Does anyone in the family have special physical needs this week? Do you all need to implement a walk together to get more exercise? E is for emotion – Is anyone depressed or anxious about anything? How can you introduce humor and laughter into your time together? L is for livelihood – What do Dad and Mom do for a living? What do all of the kids want to do as adults? I is for intellect – How is everyone doing in school? Does anyone need help studying? E is for environment – Is there any way to change or improve the home environment to accommodate the needs of all or to provide a more peaceful and comfortable setting? F is for family and friends – How can your family open their home and arms to others to promote lasting and exhorting relationships? S is for spiritual and soul issues – Can you as parents/leaders enhance the spiritual growth of your children by enjoying Scripture reading or Devotional studies together? Have conversations about and ask questions of one another based on these 7 dimensions for 7 ½ minutes! Let us know what you learned from this short experience. rnWill there be grumbling and mumbling? Of course there will be because this is not common practice in your family. It feels unnatural and awkward. And sensitive subjects will sometimes arise that need to be addressed during these precious moments. But remember your children don't always want to take a math course or reading or writing course at school. They don't always want to arise early in the morning and get dressed and be ready when it's time to walk out the door. Right to Ask / Commanded to Teach You have as much right to ask them to join with you in this exercise that they are not comfortable with at home, as you do to ask them to participate in activities that they don't want to do at school and sports, and at church and in the community. In fact, you are commanded to instruct your children. In Deuteronomy 6 and 11, Moses tells us to fear the Lord and keep all His statutes and TEACH our children diligently! Deuteronomy 6:6-9, ESV (also see Deuteronomy 11:18-21)rnWhen do we do this? When sitting, walking, lying, and rising. Hmmm! Sounds like ALL the time! Let’s try this for a mere 7 ½ minutes! I’m in! How about you? How will you begin your 7 ½ minutes with your family today?