I read a sentence the other day that I have had spinning around in my brain ever since. It is written by Reggie Joiner in his book titled, Think Orange, it reads, “Families run the risk of becoming relationally poor in their pursuit of becoming experientially rich”.
Read that one more time…..how does that hit you?
I told someone the other day that I thought soccer was from the devil. Okay, I know that is extreme and I don’t mean it literally…..BUT you have to admit that if you are in that season of raising kids between the ages of 5 and 13 nothing has the power to dictate a family’s time, energy, and schedule more than soccer!!!
I guess when I read what Reggie wrote I was struck by how true this is and how foolish we are. We sign our kids up for everything under the sun, standing in long lines hushing our children to be quiet so that we can get them signed up for yet another dance class or athletic team. We fill our day timer’s with “have to’s” and we swing by the nearest convenience store or fast food restaurant calling it dinner as a family. Who are we kidding, we don’t own our own time, we are owned by the calendar of events that dictate our whereabouts on a minute by minute basis. Gone are the days of playing board games, eating and conversing around the dinner table, and walks around the neighborhood.
Who has time?
As parents it would be wise to contemplate how our families are being defined by what we do rather than who we are. I invite you into this conversation, I would love to hear your ideas, thoughts, even arguments. Maybe together we can learn to navigate daily life in a way that speaks to the heart of our children and builds relationships within our walls.
-Angie
Kidventure 
Comments on: "risking our families" (5)
it is so true and you know who pays the price? Ultimately everyone, but more directly it is our children’s children when their parents don’t sit down with them and play. And the sins of the fathers get passed down from generation to generation.
Let’s stop the cycle. It is never too late.
Oooh, love it. Now I admit, I don’t have kids so perhaps I can’t weigh in quite as heavily as others. That being said, I do know how I was raised and the family memories that I’ll never forget–and these are memories I would never trade!
Well said Ang!
Oh, Angie, how true. How true. One friend of mine only commits to one sport per season even though she has more than one child. She says that is enough and I tend to agree. I also have another friend who has said “No” to sports and makes a point to have family time at home and talk and engage with her kids. Jonathan isn’t really interested in soccer yet so it hasn’t been a difficult decision for us. But, it is so easy to get caught up in the “things of this world” that we forget about what is truly important….we get consumed with the immediate, instead of what is ultimately important.
Jill,
Just last night I grabbed a board game and asked Enric who is 22 and Mitch who is 16 to play with me. It provided the end cap to our evening and we had a ball. It is amazing how much conversation can happen when playing a game together as opposed to watching TV together. Angie=)
Cool, Angie! I think Doug and I need to do this more often too. We both love games, but find ourselves sitting in front of the TV or computer too often! Have a great day! Jill