You Must Create a Family Motto
When we were foster parents of a nine-year-old boy a couple of years ago, my husband and I implemented the family motto. This was the mantra that was suggested to a group of us during parenting training, and this mantra is often used in parenting children with trauma: “Don’t be offended, stick together, have fun.”
We were amazed at how many situations this applies. We do not harm others or harm ourselves, physically or emotionally. We hold on in droves and stand up for each other. And if we have to have fun, but we are not, we are looking for a way to make a difference. (Our motto even had hand gestures to make it even cooler.)
What I especially liked about the motto was that it emphasized the rules of the house and returned to family values . Less “this is what we do” and more “this is why we do it”.
If you want to take it one step further, writer and podcaster Bob Riley suggests writing a complete family code that, he explains, “can serve as a lens through which they see the world,” allowing them to determine “which things are in line with their values. or do not agree with them. “
Or you can come up with an acronym like the family of writer Daniel Pink did. Their name is HAHU, which means “Hustle, Anticipate, Heads Up”. “It was originally designed for traveling with three small children, ” he told us . “When you’re at the airport, you need to hurry . You cannot sit back. You have to anticipate what will happen next. And heads-up means you have to watch where you go and try not to bump into people. It has become a persistent acronym in our home – we use it all the time. “
I asked the parents on our Offspring Facebook group if they have any family mottos or mantras, and some of them have, finding inspiration for their own phrase in every sense. The Clovis family was inspired by her heritage: “Our true family motto (Scottish clan motto) is loved by my children: Numquam Obliviscar. “I will never forget”. Tiffany admits that she borrowed her family ‘s motto from Let’s Go Luna : “There is always something to learn, and there is always tomorrow.” Brendan’s family motto is an excerpt from a prayer his aunt wrote: “Live with love. Work with joy. Share what you have. Always be grateful. “
To create your own motto, think about the value (or values) that you want to embody. What is important to you? Hard work? Perseverance? Kindness? Let your kids do their part to make them feel like they own it, and then choose a phrase that is short, relevant in a variety of situations, and comes from the mouth. Here’s a great list of family mottos to get you started.
Once you’ve chosen your motto, place it on the refrigerator, dry-wipe board, or chalkboard – wherever everyone can see it. Review it about once a year to see if the motto is still popular with everyone or should be updated.
And if you’re having trouble coming up with a motto that seems right for your family, you can always go with Offspring member Joshua’s suggestion: “Oh well. We’ll figure it out. “This one works in a lot of situations too.