Working Toward Functionality: Conscious Parenting

Here's the third point from James D. MacArthur's The Functional Family speech:

"In the FF (Functional Family) parents CONSCIOUSLY and INTENTIONALLY parent....You cannot afford to allow your parenting to become casual. You are very serious about it—not uptight—but serious and focused. If I could convince parents in the Church to do one thing that would make all the difference it would be to set aside a specific time once a week or perhaps every two weeks (but not further apart than that) to sit down together and discuss family matters—or if you are a single parent I would encourage you to set aside a time to think about each of your family members and overall family needs. Some single parents have taken this advice and joined together at a regular time each week to discuss family issues and help each other. I want to be very sensitive to single parents in this talk. The idea here is that you would not miss the time set aside for partaking of the sacrament at 9:00 a.m. Sunday in Sacrament Meeting. Then why would you miss the time set aside for thoughtful consideration of each child's needs, overall family needs, marital needs and the personal needs of you as parents in the family? DO IT!! It will make a big difference if you don't give up on it too easily. Intentional parenting means regularly taking some private time to think about each child and what he/she needs.

"Let me make a big point here. How can setting aside a time once a week regularly to talk together about family needs, goals and plans possibly make that big a difference? It does because parents have no forum for regularly discussing their family needs unless you create one—and this is it! This is the time and place where it can all happen. Please do it!"


I love this idea!

When I think of conscious parenting, I think it's a matter of thinking through every consequence of the actions you take--if I do this, how's it going to effect my family. I love MacArthur's idea. I we take the time to think of each child and his/her needs and do it on a regular basis, we can be more purposeful in our actions as parents.