There's nothing to do! I'm bored!" Sound familiar? Wasn't it just yesterday that everyone was excited about school being out? But just a few weeks in, and you're pulling your hair out for some ideas to entertain the troops that won't cost an arm and a leg. Well, no need to worry. July is Picnic Month, so take your PB&J, and head out for a little lunch on the lawn. Better yet, try a change of scenery…load the...

This Sunday, Daylight Savings Time ends – which means the days will seem shorter. As if they're not short enough already! As they say, there's only so much time in a day. Everything we say "yes" to takes time away from something – or someone – else. Usually it's our spouse or our children. We've got to say "no" to more outside things – "no" to that dinner meeting, "no" to joining that committee, "no" to that golf...

Ninety million people will be glued to the television this Super Bowl Sunday. If you plan on watching the game, why not make it a family affair? Start with a game plan for the day. It might include firing up the grill, or letting each child choose something they want to eat. You can also have each family member rate the new Super Bowl commercials or predict the score at the end of each quarter. Give prizes to the...

This week we are featuring the 5 most popular Family Minutes from 2010. Today is Number 1...You start by sharing your problems with them; they share their problems with you. Then the friendship deepens. You start giving each other mutual support and encouragement — especially about your unmet needs. That encouragement becomes an attraction . . . like a powerful magnet. Then, before you know it, you may even...

Bethany Hamilton dreamed of being a professional surfer, but at 13, she lost her arm in a shark attack. You'd think that would be the end of her career plans, but that's not the case. The new movie, Soul Surfer, will show you three things that Bethany did to realize her dreams. You can do them, too. First, put the pain aside. Before you can do anything about your circumstances, you have to be able to move...

Consider what author Charles Swindoll says: "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than education, than money, than what people say or do. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We...

We've powered up our laptops, phones and video games. We've powered down family meals, drive-time conversations and date nights with our spouse. We've increased tech and decreased touch. What can we do about it? Just remember these four R's. First, Recognize that you can control technology. Second, Remember that your children will learn more from your online actions than your offline words. Third, Require...