Mr. Moms on the Rise and other Family Facts!

In commemoration of Father’s Day, I found three recent family-focused articles that are interesting and fun, but more importantly, able to positively impact your family life through both inspiration and awareness.

First, a recent CNN story reported that Mr. Moms are on the rise:

“Fathers are the primary caregivers for about a quarter of the nation's 11.2 million preschoolers whose mothers work, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.”

Included in this very informative article, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that even though the increase was due to unemployment, it was surprising to read that 2 million more men than women were unemployed in May 2010! Yet the article included more than statistics; it told one father’s personal story, transparently highlighting both the struggles and joys of being an at-home parent.

On a personal note, when I was traveling quite a bit during my son’s teenage years, my husband took a part-time job to be Mr. Mom, (even though he had both a Masters and Doctorate) during those very informative years. Additionally, I kept my office in our home, closing down the phones during lunch hour when boys would come in the door for foosball and tuna melts. Of course, there was a lot of noise made and toys being played--dirt bikes and wakeboard boats--during that five year span, but neither of us regret the sacrifice of money or time spent with our only child. In other words, unemployment doesn’t have to be the only reason parents choose uncommon or untraditional methods for raising their kids!)

Second, I found fascinating research provided in author Miriam Weinstein's book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals and website, Poweroffamilymeals.com:

“In study after study, the beneficial impact of family mealtime has been demonstrated for children of all ages. Better grades, healthier eating habits, closer relationships to parents and siblings, ability to resist negative peer pressure, resilience in the face of life's problems — all these are outcomes of simply sharing dinner on a regular basis."

Of the many findings, none seemed more convincing than the following three:

*More mealtime at home was the single strongest factor in better achievement scores and fewer behavioral problems in children all ages.

*More meals at home also resulted in less obesity.

*More than a decade of research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has found that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less like they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.

In addition to the benefits found in the studies, Weinstein’s site was especially helpful in sharing an extensive variety of ideas for mealtime menus along with mealtime activities for families of all ages to enjoy.

Finally, RealSimple.com contributor Jancee Dunn, delivered her rendition of a Father’s Day Tribute. Though the fatherly advice was neither new or unusual, it was most appropriately simple and easy for any parent to immediately implement.

Two of my favorite tips included:

(1) Hold hands while you hash it out – Yes, her dad suggests that fighting with someone you love while holding each other’s hands and looking each other in the eyes makes it almost impossible not to…laugh!

(2) Don’t belittle the annual sack race – Even if your kids groan as they get older, don’t give up the goofy family traditions that make great memories while on vacation or during holidays. Those memories of silly games, races or skits will (eventually) make everyone laugh, as well as establish the importance of traditions when your kids have their own families. (By the way, we just got home from the tri-annual reunion and shared in, if not expected, the “after-picnic balloon toss” for everyone 4 to 84!)

What little changes, based on these ideas, will you make even this week that are able to inspire big results in your family life? Let me know--I'd love to hear from you!

Be encouraged,

Becky