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Family Adventure

GOAL: Defining Your Center as part of Digital Wellness

Help family members define their goals and values as a first step to achieving digital wellness.

 

 

The ADVENTURE:

Discuss your family and individual values and beliefs followed by a Writing activity that research has shown to have a positive impact months and even years later.

 

 

TIPS:

 

   Ensure that every family member has an opportunity to contribute to the conversation.

 

   Acknowledge the different views and perspectives of family members. This activity provides a great opportunity for parents to share their values and beliefs with children. It is also a great opportunity to really listen to children and better understand where they are and the experiences that have led them to that point.

 

   Display family members' 'word' creations in a place that shows your appreciation for them and their strengths

 

   Acknowledge the 'words' they identified when you see those traits in their daily activities. Especially if they choose words they want to work on, show appreciation for the progress you see them make.

 

 

 

 

 

Start with Awareness: A Kind of Fishy Story

 

There are two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning . . . How’s the water?” The two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks at the other and says, “What’s water?”

 

What is the water your family swims in when it comes to your digital world? Discuss some of the things that are a part of your digital world.

 

 

Define Your Center.

 

Consider the following together as a family:

 

❏  Have each family member reflect on their  why by asking 'What are some “touchstone” (core) media that have helped shape me and help me feel and keep a sense of core purpose?'

 

❏ Consider the questions Who do I want to be? and How do I want to show up in the world {character traits, attributes, essence, personality, energy, guiding principles, etc.}

 

❏ Encourage each family member to identify What matters most to them? {priorities, focus, long-term vision/goals, etc.} 

 

 

 

Writing Activity:

See the full quote and a printable version of the list below HERE.

 

Have each family member look over the following list and choose 3-4 words that they feel they excel in OR that they would like to develop more fully.

 

Set the timer for 10 minutes and invite each member of the family to write about one or more of the words they selected.

 

Use one or more of the ideas below to finish up this Adventure:

 

❏ Give each family member an opportunity to share. They may choose to share how they feel about the word they wrote about, or they may choose to write about their experience during the writing process.

 

❏ Create a visual representation of the word each family member chose. Pull out some paper (plain or designed), a variety of writing tools, and any other art supplies that the kids may want to use to create their visual representation of the word.

 

 

Pre-K Adventure

Even little Adventurers can enjoy this activity with a few minor adjustments.

 

Help little ones begin to learn about values and define theirs by discussing words and then acting them out. Here are some words that little ones might understand:

 

Accepting, Alert, Appreciative, Attentive, Balanced, Calm, Cooperative, Compassionate, Confident, Courageous, Creative, Curious, Enthusiastic, Forgiving, Friendly, Fun, Generous, Gentle, Happy, Honest, Humble, Kind, Obedient, Optimistic, Reliable.

 

 

Of course, choose any others that you feel your little ones could understand. Most of all, HAVE FUN!

 

 

 

 

 

Community Engagement Adventure

Ready to take this to the community? Here are some ideas:

 

 

❏ Invite some of your friends over and have them choose 2-3 words that they feel describes them. Have everyone design a visual representation of their word.

 

 

❏ Play a 'Define Your Center' version of charades with your friends. Put the list of words on a table where everyone can see it (or give each player a copy of the list) and then take turns acting out one of the words and letting the others try to guess which word on the list you are acting out.

 

 

❏ The real goal is to LIVE these qualities in your every day life. Choose one of your words for the 'word of the day' and focus on LIVING that word in everything you think, say and do throughout the day. You can work on the word for as long as you want (a day, a week, even a month!). When you feel you have mastered that word select a new word to work on!

 

 

Teen Adventure

Remember, the real goal is to LIVE these qualities in your every day life. After completing the basic Adventure with your family, go the extra mile by choosing one of your words for the 'word of the day' and focus on LIVING that word in everything you think, say and do throughout the day. You can work on the word for as long as you want (a day, a week, even a month!). When you feel you have mastered that word select a new word to work on!

 

 

by Define Your Center

The Vision

Changing conversations and culture around kids and technology to include more positives. We envision a movement where youth and adults work together to #UseTech4Good.