Parenting

Family Mission Statement: The Importance of Having One

July 25, 2017
family mission statement
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Have you talked to your spouse and children about what kind of family you want to be? Creating a family mission statement is your opportunity to come together and discuss and discover what your family thinks. It is a time to hear what everyone wants and to come up with a reminder that will create a cohesive environment.

“A family mission statement is a combined, unified expression from all family members of what your family is all about — what it is you really want to do and be — and the principles you choose to govern your family life.”   Stephen Covey

The kids will love this because they get to be part of something important and share their opinion and feelings. They get to work with you to create a family legacy.

Before you write your mission statement you will need to answer questions together as a family. You can find those questions here.

family mission statement

Steps to Creating Your Family Mission Statement

  1. Print out the questions
  2. Have a family meeting. This is where each family member will answer each question. It’s important to give equal time and have an open discussion.
  3. Come up with words or a phrase that encompasses who your family is.
  4. Write your mission statement together. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page and understand the goals of the family. Everyone needs to agree so they can stand by it! Your mission statement can be bullet points, a sentence, phrases, paragraph, etc…  There is no wrong way to make it.
  5. Find a way to display your statement. You will want to put it in a place that you can see it everyday. We put ours on the piano. This is a spot where everyone sees it daily.
  6. Rewrite your statement as time goes on. As your family ages or you get new additions, take time to redo your statement. Thoughts, ideals, beliefs change and your mission statement should reflect that.

This is my family mission statement:

family mission statement

How to Display your Statement

There are many creative ways you can display your mission statement. Here are a few ideas:

  • Print it out and put it on the fridge
  • Print it out, frame it, and hang on a wall, or place it on a table or bookshelf
  • Make a wood sign
  • Turn into a song

If you would like more help with creating your family statement Stephen R. Covey has an audio book on  How to Develop Your Family Mission Statement. He also has a book  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families. This book discusses how to have family meetings, the importance of keeping promises, how to balance your needs as well as your family’s needs, and so much more.

The most important thing to remember is to enjoy your family time and discussion and have fun with it!

 

 

 


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