Team Home

I still remember the couple who came & spoke to our Sunday school class well over a decade ago.  They had 3 kids a little older than ours and had been asked to share with us some of the things they did that made for a successfully operating family unit.  I always paid a lot of attention to these guest speakers and have gleaned much wisdom from them over the years.

The wife spoke primarily about how to make your family a well functioning team.  The example that sticks in my mind was something she would say to them at the grocery store when they were bickering over choices, you know, that “I want Oreos, she wants Chips Ahoy, he wants Nutter Butters” exchange.  She would say “the three of you have 60 seconds to decide which pack of cookies we’re buying. Ready - Go Team!”  I really liked this approach.  It took something that could be a cause of dissension - having to pick cookies with 3 little kids- and gave it a positive spin.  The message is that we are a team; we need to work together.

I have carried this team philosophy into many aspects of our family life. I use it when we are getting the house ready and packing up to go out of town. It applies when we are hosting a party and there are many jobs to get done. I think of it every fall when we have to bag up 30+ bags of leaves in our yard. It hits on something that we all like - and that is to be part of a common goal that is bigger than self.   

No matter how big or how small your family is - you are a team. I hope you can find a fun and useful application for the team approach as you are going about your daily grind.