It is important to have a home that is conducive to feeling the spirit. A home, which is this way, will be more inviting to those that visit. It will help your family to get along. It will give you opportunities to teach your children about the gospel on a daily basis. Here are a few suggestions to help you have a positive home environment.
1) Keep your house clean and orderly. This can be difficult, especially if you have young children or a large family. You can have your children help pick up their toys, and put their things away. It can help if you establish routines when they are young, because it is more difficult to have older children change. A clean house will lead to less stress on your family, and it will be easier to find things.
2) Watch what you have coming into the house. You should make sure that the movies and television shows, as well as the music you listen to do not drive the spirit away. You can help to set the tone by softly playing classical or other uplifting music in the background.
3) You should always set the example of using kind language and treating others with respect. Your children will follow your example. You can also set up strict rules on acceptable ways to voice anger, and resolve disagreements. The younger your children are the easier this can be accomplished.
4) Another important thing you can do is to hold family prayer, family scripture study and family home evening on a regular basis. The more positive time you spend together as a family the stronger your relationships will be. This will lead to a more positive environment for every family member. It is important to encourage your children to spend time together on a regular basis.
5) Take the time to spend quality time with each of your children on their own. This can make a huge difference in your relationship with your children, especially in a big family. If you set up a system where each child gets to spend some extra time with you and rotate through the family, then it will seem fair to your children. Your children will begin to look forward to the extra time together with just you or your spouse.
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Creating a Positive Home Environment
General Conference: “A Gospel Sharing Home”