Your family Building Holiday

An annual Family Building Holiday is the high point of your Family Building Program.

Imagine a wedding! A wedding is the pinnacle of a love relationship, a period of courting, then careful preparation and finally an expression of joy and commitment. The Family Building Holiday is the climax of another kind of love relationship, a period of discovery, then careful preparation and finally having a lot of fun together. While the holiday is the focal point, the mind and culture of this process is what Family Building is all about.

The Family Building Holiday is not about sitting in a conference room all day. I know of family retreats in which most of the time is spent in formal meetings. I think this is wrong. The main focus should be fun for your adult children. At a point in time when your children are going their separate ways, it is essential that once a year they get together and reenact their childhood and simply have a good time. The short educational forum serves only as opportunity for the family adults to transcend the ordinary and deal with each other as adults. Over a period of time an increasing common consciousness will emerge.

Understanding Family Values and Culture is a principal objective of your Family Building Program and the Family Building Holiday. These discussions should occur yearly, transitioning from the values of the founding family to the values of members of the next generation. You personalize your program by selecting what Meaningful Conversations you choose to have with your children or the extended family.

Keep in mind that your program must reflect your heart and soul. And it must fit your family. Family Building will require you to know your family better. And as your understanding of your family deepens, your personalized program will become much more relevant and essential.

A foreman (detailed in the 7-Step Guide), a short program, a desirable location, a convenient time and place, invited speakers, third party participation; cash gifts and charitable giving and FOCUS ON FUN are the essential ingredients to a lasting program.

If you are prepared to grow your knowledge, start while your children are still young and believe that building family common consciousness through Meaningful Conversations is desirable, then you are ready to create your Family Building Program.