Big Families Archives - Tricia Goyer

6 Ways to Build a Positive Family.

Do your kids struggle with negativity? Are you constantly having to break up fights?Do you cringe at the words coming out of your child’s mouth? Do you wish everyone could just be happy and positive?

A positive attitude at home will leak into the rest of your child’s life. The “family” is where the foundation of a positive living is built. It’s our job not just to teach being positive, but to model it. Here are 6 ways to do that. (And they spell out the word F.A.M.I.L.Y! Stay tuned to the end of this post for a free printable.)

The “family” is where the foundation of a positive living is built. @TriciaGoyer

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Faith

Our faith in God is the foundation for our attitudes. We not only represent ourselves and our families, but we also represent God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Because of Jesus, we can trust He’ll be with us and guide us. He’s not only caring for us on this earth, but He’s also preparing a place for us for eternity.

Remind your child that faith in God gives us confidence for today and hope for tomorrow.
Ask, “If we have faith in God, what can we look forward to?” (Lots of amazing, positive things!)
Guide your child to turning any negative interactions into positive ones by pointing your child back to God. “I know this is hard right now, but because of our faith can trust that God will turn things around for good.”

Attitude

Our attitude is a megaphone of what’s happening on the inside. Is your child feel unloved, unappreciated, or disconnected? If so, his or her attitude will show it. When you see a bad attitude starting, instead of beginning with correction, start with connection.

Remind your child he or she can tell you how he or she is feeling instead of acting out.
Ask, “If I could do one thing for you right now, what would that be?”
Guide your child to reach for you instead of lashing out. “If you need me to understand, talk to me. I want to be here for you.”

Mental Goodness

Mental goodness is one way of saying, “Think about good things.” Instead of replaying what you don’t like about your home, family, and school, try to find the positives.

Remind your child that bad thoughts will lead to bad actions and good thoughts will lead to good actions.
Ask, “What is one good thing you can think about right now?”
Guide your child to ask God to help him think about good things. Pray together about this.

Head over to thebettermom.com to read the rest of this post!

Are you ready to build a positive family that faces life’s struggles without grumbling or complaining?

Maybe you’re ready for The Grumble Free Year. Join our family of 11 as we navigate a year of learning to look for God in all things and to serve Him through grateful and thankful hearts.

Pre-order now and get these great FREE gifts! Order here: www.thegrumblefreeyear.com

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Big Family Holiday Vacation!

If you’re part of a big family you know how hard traveling can be at times. We love going on vacation with our six kids (ages 25, 22, 20, 7, 4 and 4.) We also have an amazing daughter-in-law, and two grandkids (ages 3 and 1). Big family vacations can be big fun, if you know where to look!

There is one challenge that comes with big family vacations: Finding activities where everyone enjoys themselves. Recently, we had the perfect vacation in Branson. We found a great place to stay and the perfect big family activities!

Welk Resort, Branson

Big Family Friendly Resort

Often when we’re traveling to Branson we go from show to activity to meal, and we barely have time to enjoy our hotel or resort. When I asked my husband John what he wanted to do on our family vacation he told me, “Find a nice resort and enjoy it.” We did exactly that!

Welk Resort Branson is near Tablerock Lake, within three miles of the 76 Strip and 8 miles from Silver Dollar City.

The rooms were comfortable and inviting. The staff was helpful, and they had the best breakfast buffet we’ve every had at a hotel: eggs, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, and so much more.

There was miniature golf and awesome activities for families to participate in, like s’mores, tie dying, crafts, and games. We stayed two nights, but we could have stayed a week without getting bored.

The best part, though, was the indoor Splashatorium. It had an indoor/outdoor pool, an indoor waterslide, hot tubs, and outside water toys for kids. You should have see the kids’ eyes when we walked into the Splashatorium! They were ready for serious fun.

If you travel with a big family you know it’s hard to find activities that everyone can enjoy. With the hot tub, waterslides, and outside activities, no one got bored here.

The Welk Resort also has Special Packages for the holidays. For one low price you can get hotel reservations, meals, and tickets to some of your favorite shows.

Sight and Sound Theater

If your big family only has time to see one thing in Branson, check out Jonah at the Sight and Sound Theater. We’ve been to Disneyworld and Epcot. We’ve been to horse shows and theme parks, but our family puts Sight and Sound theater at the top of our favorites list.

First of all, we love dramatic presentations of the Bible. For fifteen years our family “acted out” the Bible for children’s church. Yet the Jonah presentation was over the top! The sets were amazing. The details blew our mind. And the actors did a fantastic job!

If you travel with a big family you know how hard it is to find an activity that everyone can enjoy. In Branson this means no fancy shows or comedians. Instead we try to find things that the littlest ones can do, and we make that out fun.

Yet at the Sight and Sound Theater, everyone fully enjoyed it. We talked about it in the car after the show, at the hotel, on the on the way home. I guarantee if I were to ask all the crew, from ages 3 to 47 years old if they’d like to go back and see it again, we’d get a resounding YES!

Leslie and Bella give Jonah “Thumbs up!”

For families with babies, there is a Family Room, too, which makes it nice. Although our one-year-old watched half of the show.

You can also eat in the theater, which is another bonus for families. You can bring your own treats, or you can purchase snacks there.

In addition to Sight and Sound Theater is in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, too.

If you want to take in a show, check the calendar for show times and availability. They do not perform on Sundays and most Mondays. There is also limit shows around Christmas. Children’s tickets are cheaper than adults, and there are group rates for more than 15 people.

Silver Dollar City

There is hardly a time we go to Branson that we don’t visit Silver Dollar City. It is a perfect theme park for big families.

We’ve been to Disneyworld, Epcot, Disney Animal Kindgom, Knotts Berry Farm and other theme parks, and we all agree that Silver Dollar City is the family friendliest. Why?

1. There are lots of rides for kids and adults. Neither the kids or adults feel as if they’re being left out.

2. The staff is super friendly. I was disappointed by a lot of the staff at Disneyworld last time we were there. It didn’t have the same “magical” feel. The staff at Silver Dollar City show Southern Hospitality at it’s finest!

3. It’s inexpensive. The cost of a ticket is far less than other theme parks, and the food and souvenirs inside are reasonable too. It’s easy to find a nice gift for each child to take home for less than $5.

4. It’s educational. There are real artisans who display their working knowledge. We love the glass blowers, the iron workers and the woodworkers. Our kids get to learn what life was like long ago, and we enjoy it too.

If you’re looking for a vacation destination for your large family, I hope you consider Branson. We’re going back sometime during the holidays to enjoy An Old Time Christmas, and the millions of lights that fill the park. Maybe we’ll see you there!