Family Night Weekly

The Family Night Guy
A Weekly Column from Homestand
September 23, 2008

Hi, I'm Jim Weidman, The Family Night Guy. There are several keys that we incorporate into our Family Nights. After raising our kids Janet and I are on to the next generation of friends and neighbors. Some of the activities are the old classics but when the creative juices start flowing everyone starts contributing! Family Nights have now grown to an amazing 14 million listeners on radio and many of the ideas are available in re-released books that we call "The Family Night Tool Chest!" So let's get started with some of the elements that have been proven teachable moments.

The Power of Family Nights:

Imagine a formal (or not so formal) setting where Mom and Dad can instill their beliefs, values, and character qualities for their children. If we show and tell the things that are important to us, our kids will start to "catch it." This helps in so many ways when our culture is bent on the influence of peers and media, school and church and parents too many times are abdicating their role in teaching their kids the things that matter the most.

The Impact of Family Nights

From 20 to 60 minutes a week you have a structured fun time with instruction, outreach, and relational family time that sets up everyday informal and unstructured opportunities to reinforce the lesson of the week! Think of it dinnertime, bed time, drive time, and even TV and homework time are teachable moments that make a lasting impression.

Not Brain Surgery or Dentistry!

Most of us have not so good memories of family devotions. Dad would read, Mom would sing, and it was about as inspiring as a trip to the dentist! As an alternative many people are looking for something else that would strengthen the family relationships with a mixture of fun, heritage building moments while exploring deeper, big picture concepts in a simple, spontaneous, cornerstone of the family home that will be passed on to generations to come.

An Invitation