We’ve talked a lot about habits this month. Let’s leave January with one cautionary note about habits in family life. Good habits are great for building multigenerational relationships and ultimately, the legacy we leave behind at death. We need to guard against letting habits become stale and lifeless, however. Let’s talk about how to not let habits make our actions stale.
How to Not Let Habits Make Our Actions Stale
If we’ve made a positive habit within our family life, it’s wise to occasionally find new ways to act on that habit. For example, as grandchildren grow and mature, how can we change up the way we communicate with them or spend time with them? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Our local grandchildren are moving into tween years. I want to begin now to set the stage for great teen years with them.
What does that look like? In conversations, I’m planting the seeds of trust for difficult issues they may face in the future. In my actions, I’m thinking about how to spend quality alone time with the older ones so we can talk about some of the sensitive questions they will come up with as they grow. I want them to know they have layers of support within their family structure. I’m also checking with their parents to see how they feel about certain issues and what they value most in teaching their maturing children. Being on the same page in the upcoming teen years will help everyone. Consistency and habits go hand in hand.
Keeping habits from becoming stale doesn’t mean we need to dump good habits. It just means our actions need to be creative over time. It’s good for us to challenge ourselves and it’s good for a family to keep love fresh. Expressing our love for one another can be one of the most delightful ways to be creative. It’s also amazingly rewarding when we try something new that’s a big hit!
Dig in grandma and grandpa. Get creative!
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