If you have been following my social media you have probably seen that I have been spending more time with my family and we have been doing quite a bit of traveling.
We have been driving, mainly because it costs a ton to fly 6 people, but also because we love spending time together in the car seeing all of God’s creation.
It seemed that we woke up one day and our oldest son was 14! Then we said hey we only have 4 more years until he (most likely) moves out and on with his life. We want to make the most of this time.
So we made the decision to stop buying junk and start investing more in making memories.
One thing we did is sit down with all the kids and ask them where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do.
We got all kinds of answers!
Some were out of this world, while others made our hearts glow. Our daughter said that she wanted to learn more about fixing things. One son said he wanted to spend more time as a family. Of course one wanted to do more hunting (mostly in exotic places).
All of this made us think.
Not one of them asked for more stuff! They didn’t want us to buy items that they could play with. They wanted us to give them experiences. That’s the same thing we wanted. Less stuff and more memories.
Have you ever sat down with your kids and had them tell you what they really want? Not asked them what they want for Christmas or their birthday but asked them what they want to do, or where they want to go, or even what they want to experience.
You see we have trained our children across the world that when we ask them what they want they automatically ask for things, not experiences. Because whether you believe it or not, we have trained them to ask for things. You know why? It’s because things are easier to give than an experience is. It takes way less time to go on Amazon and buy a dollhouse than it does to build one with/for your daughter.
I want you to try something today, go home, and talk to your family about the experiences you remember as a child. Fishing with your grandpa, working on a truck with your dad, decorating cakes with your mom, riding in the tractor with your other grandpa, or maybe baking bread with your grandma. While you are talking about your memories watch your kids and see what makes them light up.
I also want you to think back and try to remember the “things” you got that excited you the most. Can you remember any of them? Do you still have any of them? I do. One Christmas I got a few remote control toys. They brought me a lot of joy. But now when they bring even more joy when I see my kids playing with them! You see I thought that the toy brought me joy, but the truth is that it was the experience of playing with the toy and now watching my kids play with the same toys that bring me true happiness.
It was NEVER the items in my life that brought me joy, it was the experience that I remember.
With all of that being said, what can you do to bring more experiences to your family? How can you “show up” for your kids in a way that they will remember.
I guarantee that the family trip to San Diego and eating at your favorite hamburger place in Ocean Beach (Hodads), will bring more happiness and make a lasting impression way more than getting them a new phone every year!
Get out there and make some GREAT memories with your family while you still have time!
As for me, you better keep watching my Facebook and Instagram see where life takes us over the next few years!
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