There are Stories to be Told: Start a Family Tradition

Written by Debbie Rodgers


One ofrepparttar most rewarding ways to use your outdoor living space is to gather your family members for a reunion. Perhaps it's a small group that gets together annually, or a large one whose far-flung members attend every two or five or even 10 years. Whether large or small, a reunion is a wonderful opportunity to knit families closer together through shared stories.

Inrepparttar 111059 much-underrated 1990 film Avalon, a Russian immigrant to 1940s America relatesrepparttar 111060 disintegration of his family ties. In his young manhood, his children gathered atrepparttar 111061 feet of older relatives during family gatherings and listened to tales of their heritage and history. As television took hold of society inrepparttar 111062 late '50s, children and adults alike opted forrepparttar 111063 entertainment of television personalities, instead ofrepparttar 111064 stories of their roots.

But just asrepparttar 111065 art of listening to stories has gone byrepparttar 111066 wayside, so hasrepparttar 111067 art of telling them. Here's how to re-start a tradition of storytelling at your family reunion.

•Advise all who will be attending that there will be an opportunity to tell some stories aboutrepparttar 111068 family, and let them know you'd love to hear them share something. Especially encourage older ones to think about their children when they were young, their own childhood, or even stories they may remember from their parents. With only a little effort, you can be hearing about things that happened over a century ago.

•Have some questions prepared to startrepparttar 111069 ball rolling. "Where did your family go on vacation when your children were small?" "How did you and Grandpa meet?" "What'srepparttar 111070 funniest thing one of your children ever did?" "How did you manage through tough times?"

•Encourage storytellers to use descriptions that will engage all ofrepparttar 111071 senses. Wasrepparttar 111072 thunder rolling inrepparttar 111073 distance just beforerepparttar 111074 downpour when Grandma and Grandpa bumped into each other running for cover? Didrepparttar 111075 scent ofrepparttar 111076 lilacs in Aunt Ellen's garden waft in through her kitchen window? Was there a cool breeze onrepparttar 111077 beach nearrepparttar 111078 family vacation campsite? Didrepparttar 111079 sun sparkle offrepparttar 111080 snow onrepparttar 111081 mid-winter drive to Uncle Max's? Wasrepparttar 111082 strawberry jam your mom maderepparttar 111083 sweetest you ever tasted? Use touch, smell and taste as well as sight and sound to bringrepparttar 111084 scene to life for listeners.

"EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RAISING KIDS..."

Written by Terry L. Sumerlin


"EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RAISING KIDS…"

While it’s not entirely true that "everything I need to know about raising kids I learned behind a barber chair," it is true that I've learned some things.

I was reminded of these things, after hearing a sad statement from a conscientious dad. He said that he and his son are now on different paths. I asked how old his son is. "Twelve," he answered. I thought of how close I am to Jon, our 22-year-old son, and how it would hurt me to think we were "on different paths" when he was twelve.

But, I also thought ofrepparttar many kids who come through our doors and ofrepparttar 111058 many parents who seem to be getting it right. Thus, I've developed sort of a "Barber-osophy for Raising Good Kids." Here are a few such "Barber-osophies":

1. Be in charge. It doesn't seem possible that a 4-year-old child can control a 40-year-old parent. However, I've seen it happen, and it makes you wonder who isrepparttar 111059 child and who isrepparttar 111060 parent. It also makes you wonder if child abuse doesn't sometimes takerepparttar 111061 form of a parent who won't take charge.

2. Reducerepparttar 111062 choices. While this is relative, depending onrepparttar 111063 age ofrepparttar 111064 child, it seems that children who always have a choice regarding such things as treats and privileges tend to be ungrateful, unhappy and undisciplined. Sometimes it might be more appropriate ifrepparttar 111065 choices are reduced to something I read on a friend’s refrigerator: “This ain’t Burger King. You take it my way or you don’t get it at all.”

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