My belief is your family should be on the top 3 steps of your life ladder. You have some responsibility to care, nurture, pour into and grow those relationships. You do realize if you have children that one of your number one jobs is to help mold and create solid, contributing adults out into our society. So how do you do that? First, refer back to chapter 2 on how you are made. You really need to spend some time working with your spouse and learning about their gifts and passions. What revs their motor? What thrills them? What frustrates them? Then take what you have learned about them and begin to change your filter. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People says “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Once you begin to understand your spouse and change your paradigm, your relationship will blossom. You do realize the same thing applies to your children. As they grow, begin to watch how they act and react in certain situations and that will begin to give you some insights on how you might better manage that relationship. These gifts and passions will affect everything as they grow up. If they have a bent toward administration they might do better in math, clear structure or clarity but if they have more bent toward sales they may struggle with disciplined behavior as they live to talk and be around people. Let’s learn how they are made so we can better guide them and our relationship.
