Power Parenting Plus
Raising great kids in a dizzybusy world

We all know what we want for our families: loving connections, strong values, and happy holiday memories that will bring our loved ones back home time and again. But our “fairytale” image of what a happy home looks like is often far from our day-to-day reality. In today’s fast paced, stressful and dizzybusy world, there’s little time left to connect as families and create the loving, supportive safe haven we all need at home.

Fifty years ago kids were sent outside to play and told to, “be back before dark.” The only parenting book our parent’s had access to was Dr. Spock. Even though today’s parents are more engaged in their children’s lives (endless sports and activities) and more informed on the subject of parenting (94,000 books available on amazon.com.), 74% of parents today think they are doing a poorer job parenting than their parents did. It’s certainly not easy raising children in this hurry-up world.

Busy-ness is not the only thing that makes parenting such a difficult job today. In past generations, homes were fairly well insulated from outside influences. They felt like protective cocoons. Today, we must fight the negative elements that invade our homes through TV, the internet, music and magazines. We are just as busy fighting wars inside our homes as we are outside. We are right to be concerned. Drug and alcohol use, at the college level, continues to rise every year, as well as rates for depression and suicide. Kids today are feeling stressed, isolated and pessimistic about life. We need to do something.

For many parents, the weapon of choice is to control what our children are exposed to. So we tell them, “You can’t listen to that music; you can’t watch this movie; you can’t go to those websites, you can’t hang out with those kids...” without realizing that shielding them from these negative influences will never be enough.

Children need a safe and loving environment to learn how to behave in the world and a structure that introduces and reinforces values on a day-to-day basis. When we feel safe, loved and valued for who we are, we are open to learning from those who give us that sense of security. We gain the confidence to stand on our own two feet and make good choices in life. It’s what we build inside ourselves that makes us strong and protects us, not what we build around ourselves. According to decades of research on family life and how it affects the happiness and success of our children, the best way to protect our loved ones is to instill strong family values and create strong family ties. .

How can we do that with so many distractions and so little time? And with 94,000 books available on parenting, how do we even know where to start? That’s where power parenting comes in. We need to be efficient, selective and focused. We need to pack a lot of power into a few simple tasks…sort of like the power workout we read about in health magazines: exercises that make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time. Despite the challenges we face today, it IS possible to have a simple, joyful, meaningful family life.. And, it’s easier than we think…because it’s not about doing more. It’s about doing less, and doing the right things.

Power Parenting Plus is about five simple things you can do with your family that have a powerful impact on family life: the happyhome habits. They are based on five “protective factors” that decades of research have shown families need to be strong, connected and happy. Not only do these five habits help parents teach values and strengthen family ties, but they also help families create meaningful keepsakes and build a legacy of happy holiday memories. These activities are things you can do Once-a-Day (Dinner Conversations), Once-a-Week (Family Fun Night), Once-a-Month (Holiday Traditions), Once-a-Year (The Family Story) and Once-in-a-While (Gifts of Love). The only way to make something become a permanent part of your family life is to make it a habit. Then you don’t have to think about it or put it on your to-do list.

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. 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. Dinnertime is our best opportunity to teach our children what we want them to learn about life.

The happyhome habits are based on the five “protective factors” decades of research has shown families need to be strong, connected and happy. Visit happyhome club online and join the thousands of families who are experiencing the powerful difference these simple habits can make in their lives. Take part in the life-changing happyhome challenge and earn free products that will enrich your family life at home...because happyhomes don’t just happen.

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.