Family

I know I haven't written in a while but university has been taking up my time and I'm still working on that crazy frosh video because there's so much footage and I still haven't gotten time to learn how to work things out. So before I continue to the meat of this post I'll do a little update in point form, yay.

• Had a get together at one of my best friend's house and it was pretty heart warming.
• Birthday was a beautiful day. Had dinner at East Side Mario's and spent time with my family.
• Consistently been working out with is a refreshing idea.
• Starting to write again, which is perfect at this time of the year. 
• Starting to settle into school, and finally caught up.
• Got a MacBook Pro using my tuition grants, woohoo
• Submitted my first assignment for university yesterday (how exciting...haha)
• I've been listening to soca 24/7 
• I will start a photo collage sort of thing and post it at the end of the month!

Okay. That's enough. So shall we bite into what this post is all about? As you can tell, you're going to read about my viewpoints on family from hard contemplating and experience. I have a lot of controversial thoughts about it but this is mainly for my future self and future child to read to remind me of them so whoever's reading, please don't get offended. We all have our own opinions. But yeah this is sort of like a checklist/guideline kinda thing? Here we goooo!

RESPECT

I believe that just because you are somebody's parent, it doesn't give you an authority to treat your children like shit and expect them to praise you. I'm a high believer of reciprocity and to have the best relationship with your children, you need to treat them with as much as respect you expect. Starting at young age they will learn understand you more and more as they grow older. They will see how much you are appreciative of them and use it as a guide to act the same way. Ya dig?

COMMUNICATION

Try to not raise your voice often or at all. I know, our children will do things that really do annoy the hell out of us but we also do the same. Communicate. SPEAK. Yelling doesn't put a thought through someone's head... instead it'll scare your children and they will become distant because they'll be too afraid to talk. Don't say anything impulsive out of anger, sadness, or frustration. Learn to control your words because you will never know how harmful they can be to our children. Talk about anything. Have dinner at the table, no television, no phones, just exchanging thoughts. Don't be someone your children are intimidated to approach... treat them like a friend. If they have certain conditions, care for them. We all just want to be heard. Make time for them whether it be something small like going grocery shopping together, or a walk around the neighbourhood...do it. 

TRUST

Nothing feels better than when a child is fully trusted by their parents. But it doesn't come that easy. They should earn it, just as you should earn their trust. It cannot be given, but if someone makes a mistake, do not let them start from square one. Revert to the above... speak to them. Understand them.

INFLUENCE

If you have respect, communication, and trust down... it's all up to you on how you influence them. Ultimately, with having those three ideas beautifully combined, you should be a great role model... Be somebody you would want your children to be. It will change your world. 

LOVE

I'm sure we will have done HUGE things for the love of our children but I'm sure the little things matter too... Be corny, go out on little family dates, encourage them to try new things, support, go to soccer/volleyball/basketball games or whatever floats their boat, BE THERE. We only have so much time, do something good with it and it those moments will be cherished as you will be cherished along the way.

Here's a list of things I'd like to do with my future family!

1. Have a set dinner time to talk about everybody's day
2. One day of the week dedicated to family
3. Go on summer picnics and summer/autumn hikes
4. Christmas Kris Kringle
5. Interrogate my children about their crushes...haha 
6. Create a family time capsule 
7. Go to a Raptors basketball game!
8. Ice skating somewhere down town
9. Family photo shoot, some for different seasons/occasions
10. Travel to Europe... everywhere in Europe
11. Embarrassing family sweaters with silly nicknames 
12. Chore lists, evenly distributed, even for the parents!
13. Painting/art classes/dance classes
14. Trying new dinner recipes once a week
15. ...I'm too tired to think of anymore but yeah!

<3 Little Mer

Ps, this is a really quick one because I'm behind in psych, management, and biomedical ethics...so yeah. Ta ta for now.