happyhome Habits
Building Strong Families from the Inside Out...

At first glance, today’s fast pace world seems exciting: easy-to-access information, endless opportunities, and all those cool technological advances. But instead of giving us more time, it gives us more to do. To stay on top of it all, we work harder and harder, go faster and faster. Yet we feel as if we haven’t accomplished anything worthwhile. We are having a hard time unplugging because racing about has become a way of life. Like it or not, we have gotten into the habit of being busy. The dizzybusy habit.

It’s a bad habit because it puts work before family and accomplishments before connections. It’s an unhealthy habit because it distracts us and prevents us from doing the things that really matter, so we feel guilty, stressed and out of balance. We have gotten so revved-up we don’t know how to slow down and enjoy ourselves. It’s time to take a deep breath, jump off and create some new healthy habits. The happyhome habits make it easy for families to get what they need with less effort and less stress.

These habits are based on the “protective factors” that decades of research have shown will protect families from the negative influences that surround us. The happyhome habits are things we can do with our families once-a-day, once-a-week, once-a-month, once-a-year and once-in-a-while. They give us peace of mind and leave us feeling guilt-free, knowing we have accomplished the important things in our lives.

We can teach our children and grandchildren the value of honesty, respect and responsibility in just minutes a day or create a joyful sense of family togetherness in just two hours a week. One simple tradition a month is all it takes to build the warm memories that will bring our grown children back home every holiday. The happyhome habits make all this possible (and more) by helping families understand what to do and when.

For example, happyhome habit #1 is Dinner Conversations. Research indicates that clear communication and shared family time are two of the most important protective factors that will positively influence our children’s lives. Eating family meals together combines the power of those two factors. We need to sit down to dinner with our families, and we need to talk — talk about anything and everything. It doesn’t matter if we make a home cooked meal or pick up hamburgers, as long as we eat together and talk.

The dinner table is where it all happens. It’s a perfect place to connect and learn about what’s going on in each other’s lives. It’s where we can give each other support and help solve problems, where we honor and celebrate our victories and accomplishments. It’s where we pass on precious stories and talk about family values and family traditions. Dinner time is our best opportunity to teach our children what we want them to learn about life.

The happyhome habits are similar to the habits we strive for to achieve healthy bodies: exercise three times a week, drink eight glasses of water and eat six or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The happyhome habits are the key ingredients to a healthy diet for modern day family life. These habits are like vitamins for the soul; they protect us and our families from the inside out.

Any one of the five happyhome habits will make a huge impact on your family. Start with the habit that best represents your family’s needs and personal goals, and weave it into your life until it becomes second nature. Then try a second one. A habit is something you don’t have to think about anymore, such as brushing your teeth. If we want to build a happyhome for our families, we have to make it a habit...

…because happyhomes don’t just happen.

A hundred years ago, no one had to think about eating well and getting physical exercise because it happened naturally. But today we have to be intentional about these things if we want to live a long healthy life. Family has come to that same point. Many of us still assume that “family” happens naturally because it used to when our parents were raising us. But our lives today have become so overwhelmingly busy that the simple, good things - like sitting down to dinner together and talking - are getting lost in the shuffle.

Lorle Campos, CEO/Founder of Once Upon a Family, author of happyhome, and mother of five, is helping families say NO to today’s dizzybusy lifestyle and get back to the basics of a simple, joyful, meaningful life. It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing less and doing the right things. Read the book, take the Personality Test, and partake in the Five-In-One Family Fun program and join the thousands of families who are experiencing the powerful difference these simple habits can make in their lives.

Lorle Campos, CEO/Founder of Once Upon a Family, is the author of happyhome: a family's guide to finding balance in a dizzybusy world. Take part in the happyhome Challenge to receive free tools and products to enrich your family life at home.