Elements of a Successful Family

In this world, our lives are busy and there are many things that demand our attention, including work, finances, and day-to-day challenges. But making the needs of our family a priority can help us to make time to encourage children to learn in fun and inviting ways.

Parents are also powerful role models for their children. If they see you reading, they will be more likely to read. If they see that you are active and interested in your community, they will be more likely to be active in their community.

People who research families have observed that there are many factors that help children to be more ready to learn. These factors are divided into these three areas:

Basic Needs Create a Positive Environment

Creating a successful family depends on creating a positive environment in our homes. As parents, we can set the stage by how we talk to our children and how we attend to their basic needs to be fed and comforted.

Character & Values Create Good Citizens

To create the kind of neighborhoods and homes where our families feel safe, we need to emphasize the importance of basic common values such as being honest and respecting other people. Going beyond that, getting our families active in service projects and volunteerism builds our investment in safe communities.

Learning Skills Create Successful People

Being smart is different from being a good learner. People have all levels of ability, but everyone can develop skills that help them learn in formal and informal settings. When children are at home with parents, informal learning goes on constantly. You can relate this informal learning to formal (or school) learning by helping children have good experiences and helping them communicate.

Each of the pages provides ideas for implementing or improving a family skill. You do not need to do all of these things at once because good habits take practice, but choose one or two goals and work on those.

Basic Needs

» What are Basic Needs?

» Parent-Talk: Communicate with Your Child

» Developing Self-Esteem

Character & Values

» Universal Virtues

» Being a Good Citizen

Learning Skills

» Reading: Turn It On!

» Getting Out & About

» Homework Survival Kit

» Student Education Plan