For Families: Month 9
Week One
Prompt
What have you learned through are time together that you appreciate the most?
Connecting
What did your stories have in common?
Daily Challenge
Let’s remember to appreciate the time we get to spend with one another. It’s making a difference in our family!
Prompt
Earlier, we talked about wisdom of the mind — education and learning and using it “for good”. Today we’ll talk about wisdom of the heart. This isn’t necessarily emotions, but more about compassion, emotional, awareness of others, and the ability to conduct yourself in a way that is considerate of others and the world around you. How do we acquire wisdom of the heart?
Connecting
Is it necessary to be highly intelligent in order to practice wisdom of the heart? What are some ways to get more heart wisdom?
Daily Challenge
Before you make decisions this week, consider how that decision will affect the people around you. Where you sit, what you say, the expressions on your face — these are all things you get to choose. Let’s all choose heart-wisely.
Prompt
Last time, we defined wisdom of the heart as compassion, emotional strength, awareness of others, and the ability to conduct ourselves in a way that is considerate of others and the world around us. What are ways families can practice wisdom of the heart?
Connecting
We can’t time travel, but if we could go back and change things, sometimes we would. Often, this regret about past decisions shows how much we’ve grown or learned. What is something you’d go back and do differently now that you’ve grown more wisdom of the heart?
Daily Challenge
This week, work on growing your wisdom of the heart. Be generous with others.
Week Two
Prompt
What is the value of wisdom of the heart? Describe how the whole world would be better if we all had more wisdom of the heart.
Connecting
What did you appreciate about what your partner said?
Daily Challenge
This week, work on growing your wisdom of the heart. Be generous with others.
Prompt
This prompt will be done together as a family. If you can, sit in a circle.
What can we do together as a family to become a more heart-wise family?
Connecting
As a family, decide to focus on one or two of the ideas mentioned.
Daily Challenge
Practice wisdom of the heart. Just like any physical muscle, this heart wisdom gets stronger through exercise and intentionality.
Prompt
What are some ways we can settle our hearts and minds that would encourage us to be more heart-wse? (meditation, consistent bedtimes, essential oils, healthy eating, etc.) Make your list on paper as you speak.
Connecting
Compile everyone’s ideas into one cohesive list.
Daily Challenge
Think about choosing just one idea from the list and consider whether you might incorporate that into your life.
Week Three
Prompt
How do friends on social media (or in video games) compare to friends in real life or face-to-face? When you think about the time you spend which each type, which type of friendship is more enjoyable? Which is less stress?
Connecting
What did your observations have in common?
Daily Challenge
Today, appreciate the face time you have with your friends. Consider ways you can prioritize that more today and in the days ahead.
Prompt
Social media (video games) often create stress. We all struggle with wishing we had something someone else has, comparison, fear of missing out, loneliness, and discontent. There’s pressure to get more followers, more likes, more retweets (get farther, earn more points, win more times). It’s easy to form our view of ourselves based on what others think is beautiful, funny, or valuable (how well we play a game).
How does being stressed about social media (video games) rob us of happiness?
Connecting
What are some ways to regain the freedom and happiness we lose when we’re obsessed with video games and social media?
Daily Challenge
This week, think about why you’re reaching for your phone (or video game, etc.) Once you know what hole you’re trying to fill, take a deep breath and look at it straight on. Any hole you try to fill with social media remains empty. How might you approach friendship with more authenticity?
Prompt
Social Media can easily become an addiction.That means no matter how hard we try to stop using it, we can’t seem to stop getting on social media [ or playing video games].What goes on with our relationships when we’re addicted to social media? What do we lose?
Connecting
How can we recognize our own addiction to social media? How can we work on building better relationships rather than using relationships for fodder on our social media?
Daily Challenge
This week, before you take a picture or scroll through your social media accounts, take a look around you. Instead, interact with the people around you first.
Week Four
Prompt
Today is a day for a Blue Sky Moment. Find one to listen to as a family here.
Prompt
This prompt will be done together as a family. If you can, sit in a circle.
How can we build confidence in who we are instead of going to [social media] for affirmation?
Connecting
Compile everyone’s ideas into one cohesive list.
Daily Challenge
We all battle loneliness and insecurity at times. Let’s work at affirming others who are present with us before we go to social media. Maybe you could even put your phones away for a while when you’re with your friends or we have family time.
Prompt
Social media can often make us feel less-than. (Video games can make us feel angry.) What are some ways we can remember to consciously check in logically and emotionally about our time spent, and what we’re viewing ( and how we’re feeling when we play)?
Connecting
What did you appreciate about what your partner said?
Daily Challenge
Before you check social media today, check in with how you’re feeling. Try to figure out what is driving your need to get on social media. If you’re lonely or sad and looking for a boost, see if time on social media makes you feel better or worse. This type of awareness will help you figure out what your best options are for feeling better!
Prepare
At the end of today’s time, challenge everyone to turn on screentime monitoring, or commit to writing down every minute they’re on their device.
If your family doesn’t use electronics frequently, talk through all the ways you each spend time and commit to tracking every minute spent on something that wastes time.