“Successful marriages and families are
established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness,
respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”
My family is big on
boating. My parents taught my siblings and I how to waterski at the age of two.
This is my favorite activity that my family did together because it built up my
confidence, taught me to keep working toward my goal even when I fail so many
times, and showed me that my family would always be there to support me and
cheer me on. The first time I tried slalom skiing, I would get so discouraged
when I couldn’t get up. It took me so many tries, but as soon as the boat would
turn around to pick me up, I would see my family's smiling faces and hear their
words of encouragement that made me want to keep trying. This is what comes to
mind when I think of when I think of wholesome family recreation.
The best times that I’ve had with my family have
come as we all put away our material possessions and just enjoyed our time
together. I have so many memories of my family bonding during road trips,
camping, family reunions, biking, playing in the snow, working, cooking,
serving others, swimming, participating in family traditions, and traveling. In
these moments I felt unified as a family and could feel the love that each
member had for me. Family should be on the top of one’s priority list. They are
what is most important in the world and should be given the most time.
An individual shouldn’t constantly participate in
activities that take them away from their spouse or family. To be unified as a
family and strengthen relationships, a person needs to dedicate quality time
with their family and creating memorable experiences. “Joint activities
strengthen relationships by promoting interaction, communication, and cooperation”
(Alan J. Hawkins, 2012). We all have our individual interests, but I find it
important to have hobbies that involve the whole family where each member can
participate and feel included. “The components to
wholesome recreation include opportunities to verbally communicate, develop
skills, face challenges, create memories, share traditions and beliefs, and
spend time together in the family setting” (Alan J. Hopkins, 2012). Activities within the family are great
times where parents can model good behavior for their children. It’s a time to
live the principles you have been teaching your children. This is a great way
to support your children’s efforts in living the gospel and stand by them as you
all engage in healthy, wholesome activities.
Time management is something that every family can
work on to improve. Families need to be wise in the time they spend connected
to technology and the media. Those things are time suckers and direct people
away from their families. With all the fun aps and internet sites around, our
mind can quickly get pulled in a million different directions and before we
know it, the day is over and we think, “What have I done today?” We need to be living in reality and not the
virtual world that surrounds us. “Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither
shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known” (D&C 60:13). When we
connect to technology, we are disconnecting ourselves from the relationships
that matter. We also need to be careful that we are not over scheduling our
time. Becoming too busy takes away time spent
as a family, adds stress to the family, and reduces opportunities for
strengthening relationships. I suggest that when you find yourself with free
time, put aside all distractions and go spend time with your family. That time
will not be wasted. Elder Oaks says that “Parents should act to preserve time
for family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, and the other
precious togetherness and individual one-on-one time that binds a family
together and fixes children’s values on things of eternal worth”.
We need to use our free time wisely. “Our free time
should be used wisely to create the best possible life, to promote individual
growth and strengthen families. Meaningful recreation does not just happen; it
must be prepared for, cultivated, and privately defended.” (Alan J. Hawkins,
2012) It’s important to be proactive in our free time rather than idly wasting
it away. It’s okay to relax now and then, but active activities promote growth
in the family by acquiring new skills, memories, relationships, and more. Wholesome
recreational activities help strengthen families by strengthening relationships,
improving the quality of life, and making the most of our time.
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I made these building blocks
for my daughter to play with to stand as a reminder of the principles that our
family is founded and built upon. By living these principles in our home, our
family can be happy. These principles are “faith, prayer, repentance,
forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational
activities” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World). Families are the
“building blocks” of society and can be strengthened as they practice these
divine principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
*This post is all in
reference to Chapter 22 of Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation
Principles and Research Perspectives, by Alan J. Hawkins, David C. Dollahite,
and Thomas W. Draper (2012).
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