Skip to main content

FAMILY 100-- Wholesome Family Recreation


Wholesome family recreation!!!!  I love this topic.  My fiancé is a recreation management major, and this is something that we discuss often and that is important to us.  Hawkins provides so many wonderful quotes in this chapter and I want to share with you the ones that stood out to me.
Why is wholesome family recreation important?  I am so glad you asked.  Hawkins tells us, "Wholesome family recreation can help us strengthen our relationships and reduce negative emotional and spiritual consequences. Wholesome recreation strengthens families." (2012, p. 225).  Who doesn’t want a stronger family?  And how amazing is it that you get there through having fun!!!! But Hawkins warns us, "Meaningful recreation does not just happen; it must be prepared for, cultivated, and privately defended (Csikszentmihályi, 1990). " (2012, p. 225).  We must put effort into our recreation, or it will not be as meaningful or impactful for our families.

But what does this include?  Hawkins talks about getting in the state of flow in our activities.  He shares the components of these experiences, "These experiences have eight common elements: We are (a) confronting tasks that we have a chance of completing; (b) we are able to concentrate on what we are doing; (c) we have clear goals; (d) we receive immediate feedback; (e) we act with deep awareness, but have effortless involvement, forgetting our cares and worries; (f) the experience allows us to exercise a sense of control; and (g) our concern for self disappears, yet the sense of self becomes stronger after the experience. Finally, and perhaps most noticeable, (h) the sense of duration of time is altered (Csikszentmihályi, 1997)."  (2012, p. 228)

Image result for family recreation

What components need to be a part of wholesome family recreation?  Hawkins tells us, "The components to wholesome recreation include opportunities to verbally communicate, develop skills, face challenges, create memories, share traditions and beliefs, and spend time together in the family setting." (2012, p.233). 

There are so many different types of recreation that can benefit our families.  He says that we don’t get very much out of watching tv together because we are not communicating, and we are not out of our comfort zones.  He suggests that nature can be among some of the most powerful wholesome recreation experiences, "Louv reports that nature experiences have a direct influence on physical health; simple contact with nature, such as watching fish in an aquarium, owning a pet, working in a garden, or having a view of nature through a window can reduce blood pressure, increase survival after heart attacks, and increase speed of recovery after surgery" (2012, p. 230).  He explains more benefits, "Our own research demonstrates that engaging in challenging outdoor adventures, like learning to rock climb, backpack, fly fish, and mountain bike, promotes healthy adolescent identity development (Duerden et al., 2009). " (2012, p. 231).

In conclusion, wholesome family recreation is important because it strengthens our families and increases our overall well-being.  It is a crucial element of life that we often overlook.  I challenge you this week to make a list with your family of different activities each of you would like to go and do to strengthen your relationships with each other.  And then begin to implement those activities.  I know you will find greater joy and satisfaction in your family relationships if you make recreation an important aspect in your family.

References:

Hawkins, A. J., Dollahite, D. C., & Draper, T. (2012). Successful marriages and families: proclamation principles and research perspectives. Provo, UT: BYU Studies and School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Preparing for Marriage

I am sooo excited about the topic this week!   The topic is, (drum roll please), Preparing for marriage!!!! This information really rang true to me because this is the stage that I am currently in.   Let’s get right to it. Dating is an important aspect of eventually finding someone that you will share your life with.   Assortive Dating is the idea that you date multiple people, no strings attached, just going out and having a good time and meeting new people.   This is an important stage that many people skip.   My mom likes to call it shopping for ice cream flavors.   Everyone is different and you may think you like mint chocolate chip until you try graham canyon.   This gives you an idea of what you need in a relationship and things that you could do without. In a devotional given by Dallin H. Oaks entitled “Dating vs. Hanging Out” he explains the 3 p’s of dating: “A “date” must pass the test of three p’s:   Date must h...
Post a Comment
Read more

Relationships with In-Laws

This week we are talking about the in-laws!!!  This is a topic that many people make jokes about and that many people struggle with.  So how do we create healthy relationships with our in-laws?  What boundaries should we set and how do we do that respectfully?  We are going to explore the answers to these in this post. When we get married, we have just covenanted to love and cleave unto our spouse and no one else.   In Genesis 2:24 it says, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife.” The dictionary defines cleave as “to remain attached, devoted, or faithful to,” and “to remain steadfast”.   This is what is required of us when we marry someone. In “Creating Healthy Ties with In-Laws and Extended Family” by James M. Harper and Susanne Frost Olsen, they say that, “a newly married couple is to separate from the families in which they grew up. One component of separating from families of origin involves creating ...
Post a Comment
Read more

FAMILY 100--Eternal Families

The Eternal Family: The single most important thing in this world and in the world to come.   It is so easy to overlook this fact and the fact that so many things get placed in front of it.   Eternal families begin with the most crucial step: marriage, more specifically a sealing in the temple. In the book “Successful Marriages and Families” by A.J. Hawkins, he states, “President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “Marriage according to the law of the Church is the most holy and sacred ordinance. It will bring to the husband and the wife, if they abide in their covenants, the fullness of exaltation in the kingdom of God” (Smith, 1955, p. 84)." (2012, p. 347). There is a very distinct difference between covenantal and contractual marriage. It is important to note this difference and the quality of effort that is put in, Bruce C. Hafen (2005, p. 76–77) clarified the nature of a covenant relationship by contrasting it with a contractual relationship: When troubles come, the pa...
Post a Comment
Read more