My family and I spent a lot of time in quarantine-mode at the beginning of this new year. The good news: lots of family time, down time, and quiet time (OH!…and, a lot of extra loads of laundry and you better believe Lysol wipes were in heavy rotation).
Our family of four is not accustomed to 24-days at home (yes, 24 straight days of beautiful at-home togetherness). Josh, my hubby, did a great job of channeling his creative side to avoid going stir-crazy.
Connecting with family
Josh does an awesome job of keeping our family connected and humming at a high vibration. He keeps the kids engaged in their own growth and development. He talks about current events and asks interesting questions at the dinner table to avoid the typical “good” response after asking our kids “how was your day?”
During school drop-off or pick-up he takes the opportunity – to not be on his phone – and shares any challenges and wins he is facing in his real estate practice. Daily, he reminds the kids to always remain their true authentic selves. And reassures them how much we both love them and how proud we are of them, no matter what happens.
He regularly looks inside our four-person family dynamic to create ways to connect and challenge the kids to be their best selves. He owns his role as our son’s shepherd into their future life and career.
And all of this lead us to our best discovery of all: family book club.
The Greatest Salesman in the World
During our quarantine, Josh created a family book club. The book of choice: The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino.
What a mind-blowing experience with our two boys, who are 10- and 12-years old. We cuddled up after dinner in one room and read aloud together the amazing story of how one man became the greatest salesman in the world.
Albeit, the title is incredibly misleading as the journey to “greatest” has nothing to do with sales tactics or tricks. It was my second time reading the book. The first time I read it, it brought tears to my eyes.
My Takeaways From Family Book Club
- Book club encourages a healthy shake-up to our normal night-time routine
- We get to divert attention and temporarily shut down devices and gaming for 30-45 minutes
- Our family has a new way to connect over meaningful topics such as purpose, passion, and faith
- Our family has an opportunity to talk about subjects and concepts that we do not normally talk about
- We’re able to dive into discussions about different parts of our world and history
- Our kids get to work a new muscle: using the dictionary to discover the meaning behind unfamiliar words
- Book club fosters a new way to get them motivated and ready for our bed-time routine
- Our family finds new ways and words to express our own gratitude and prayer
As a parent, I often see how one small decision I make can create a huge long-lasting impact. This decision especially, to book-club-it with my kids, was a decision that I believe will last a lifetime.
Life-Changing Decisions
I don’t think The Greatest Salesman in the World is a book that would traditionally be suggested to a young boy. Being it is a poignant tale of one man’s journey to achieve what his heart desires by following faith and pursuing a principles-based lifestyle; written and handed down to him in ten ancient scrolls.
Why wouldn’t I (or any parent) want to introduce such a big, rich, and beautiful story to my two young growing boys?
Further, over the course of a few weeks, I watched our two boys grow before our very eyes as we introduced them to new language, concepts, and conversations.
I hope that you and your family – or friends – or colleagues – find a way to “book club” too.
