Treasure the Time

101 Things You Should Do Before Your Kids Leave Home by David Bordon

Whatever you plan to "put into" your kids, you'd better have it done by age 14.  I loved the notion of making a bucket list, as it were.  The "scrapbooking mom" in me would then create a page for each one and document them with photos and journaling as we ticked them off.  Each of the suggestions in this book is fleshed out with a page of narration--the whys and hows and possibilities.

My children are mostly grown now, so what we would do with something like this is look back and create our own journey, calling it something like "Mom's Rules of the Universe: A Guide for Scripting Ourselves and Our Families".

I tagged 60 of the 101 ideas to talk about with my family.  Anyone at a loss of what to do on "Monday Family Night" would do well to consult this little tome for inspiration.

Here's a sample suggestion from the book...
#50  FIND A CHURCH AND STICK TO IT (p.100)
  "Church families are as dysfunctional as any other. But they're also the place where you and your children learn to deal with problems, to grow, and to forgive. "Getting along" skills grow at church.
  There are many different types of churchgoers. You have the only-on-Christmas-and-Easter crowd and the whenever-the-building's-open crew, and those who don't go anymore. The latter group sees church as a machine of abrasive parts and squeaking gears. But they may be missing the big picture. True church is a place of excitement where like minds gather for a greater purpose.
  ...
  Once you've found a church and feel settled, support your pastor and fellow believers. Otherwise you and your children will forever feel like outsiders and never learn the value of commitment.
  Being faithful to your church is a way of showing unconditional love to flawed people. Show your kids it's okay to settle for the off-key earthly choir and a congregation full of people trying, but not quite there yet. Standing back in judgment isn't the answer--never has been. Only by joining in will you see discord disappear, joys heightened, and get a small sliver of your heavenly home."

Here are the things I marked that we did or should have done:

1. Teach your kids to write "thank you" notes
2. Share family recipes
3. Make your kids all home-movie stars
4. Laugh, cry, dance, and sing--in front of your kids
5. Say it''"Kids, I made a mistake".
6. Watch the sun come up -- or go down
7. Treat your kids to "Only Child" dates
8. Be on the lookout for a double rainbow
9. Go to a museum--let the kids choose which one
10. Join a parade
11. Invite a dog, cat, guinea pig, or bird to share your domicile
12. Have a talk about death and heaven
13. Make every family affair a photo op
14. Run throught the sprinklers--fully dressed
15. Find out what your family values are
16. Hug your kids until they let go
17. Make a Big Production!
18. Dance together in the ocean waves
19. Pick up trash in a park
20. Serve in a Soup Kitchen
21. Practice the Art of Praise
22. Take it to the Lord in prayer
23. Plant a garden and tend it together
24. Teach your kids to love God--by word and example
25. Explore the fine points of financial management
26. Say "I Love You" with words
27. Find a church and stick to it
28. Collaborate on a Family Memory Book
29. Talk to your kids about sex, drugs, and alcohol
30. Read a classic novel aloud
31. Attack family chores with teamwork
32. Waterproof your kids
33. Lie back on the grass and examine the clouds
34. Teach your kids how to ride out the storms of life
35. Pile up the pillows, dim the lights, and watch a movie
36. Two words--Diet and Exercise
37. Walk in the rain with one umbrella
38. Embrace a poem together
39. Teach your kids to "be quiet and listen"
40. Do silly serenades
41. Take a nighttime stroll through the galaxy
42. Remind your kids that cleanliness is next to Godliness
43. Teach your kids good study techniques
44. Have a family pen pal
45. Make personal triumphs a family affair
46. Camp out in the wild
47. Instill a passion for thriftiness
48. Foster family friendships
49. Help your kids identify what they do well
50. School your kids in ways to manage conflict
51. Get creative in the kitchen
52. Teach your kids organizational skills
53. Let your kids know you will always be there for them
54. Fly high with a kite
55. Preach the gospel of manners and etiquette
56. Trace your child's silhouette
57. Model the value of hard work and self-discipline
58. Create and bury a time capsule
59. Pitch a tent--indoors
60. Tell the family stories