Recently I asked seasoned parents for one piece of advice on how to parent my children through this time of transition (read more about that here) in our family.  I also asked several adult friends who went through stressful childhood transitions (everything from illness to missionary life in multiple countries) and asked them what they wish their parents had done to help them during that time.

Their backgrounds and nationalities were different, yet they all gave the same response:

kids need a safe way to feel and express their feelings.

The kids who were free to express their feelings without being judged, corrected, or silenced  thrived in the midst  of uncertainty.

Their sense of stability didn’t depend on a predictable routine or a certain standard of living as much as we adults might think.  Stability and comfort are blessings for the family that has strong, healthy heart connections to each other and to God.

Without those heart connections, kids struggle to make sense of life, and are vulnerable to lies about themselves and about God.

Thankfully, you can form these connections now, no matter what circumstances your family is facing.  This simple activity (read about it here) will get you started.  The more you do it , the more you’ll understand yourself, your family members and what God is doing in your lives.

And when you face challenges, you’ll already have a shared vocabulary to express yourselves and help each other overcome them.  And the more you intentionally listen to each other, the easier it is to give God your full attention.

Try this activity with your family.  What did you learn about yourself or a family member in the process?