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You are here: Home / splices of life / Family Word of the Year

Family Word of the Year

December 21, 2019

For years I would snicker when friends would announce on Facebook that they had a word for the year. I just thought it was really silly.

Then one year, our kids came home with a chalkboard stand from one of my favorite non-profits, This Side Up Family. Along with the chalkboard stand came instructions to choose a Family Word of the Year.

Something about the concept of a Family Word of the Year did not seem silly. I was actually very excited about it! I took no time at all to decide our Family Word of the Year: Kindness.

My favorite scripture and what has become our family life verse (more on that soon!) is Ephesians 4:32.

Be kind and loving to each other forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

All year long, we were reminded by this little chalkboard to be kind. We learned to demonstrate kindness to each other, to our neighbors, to school friends and co-workers. We were focused on being kind to those who were easy to love and those that were not so easy to love.

My favorite part of this process was having conversations with my children, specifically the eldest, about how it felt to be kind, how it felt to experience kindness.

When December rolled along in 2018, I knew that we were going do a Family Word of the Year again! Using an index card and an inexpensive display board I found in the Target Dollar spot, we displayed our new word: JOY.

Thanks to this simple display, we’ve had a constant reminder to live in joy and bring joy to each other! It has been so much fun.

As we approach our third year of having a Family Word of the Year, I couldn’t be more excited! Our word is: TOGETHER. I am hopeful that we will do things with others! If we are going to do a movie, that we would go see a movie TOGETHER. If we eat out after church, we would invite others to join us! If we are getting coffee that we are calling a friend to join us! If we are going through something difficult, that we would be willing to ask for help!

I am so excited to implement this word of the year with our children, in our marriage and in our friendships!

So. What about you? Would you consider doing a family word of the year? Comment below with your word!

I’d love to provide you with a free printable like the one above with your Family Word of the Year printed on it! Just click below for a free printable!

Get your FREE printable!

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Filed Under: splices of life

6 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jordan says

    December 27, 2019

    I love the concept of a word of the year, especially in this context of family doing it together. I’d have to think what our word should be but together rings to me as well… great stuff!

    Reply
    • Patty Parker says

      December 30, 2019

      Can’t wait to hear what you decide!

      Reply
  2. Lacy Green says

    December 27, 2019

    I have not heard of this idea. I really like it a lot and already know the perfect word of the year for our family. Kindness! Such a great idea!

    Reply
    • Patty Parker says

      December 30, 2019

      kindness is a WONDERFUL family word! Can’t wait to hear about your family’s adventures in intentional kindness!!!

      Reply
  3. Lauren Renee Sparks says

    December 10, 2021

    Hi Patty! I chose this post that you offered up on FB to be featured on laurensparks.net on DEC. 31. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Patty Parker says

      January 6, 2022

      thank you Lauren!

      Reply

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β€œWhat if we approached the critic, our jobs, the β€œWhat if we approached the critic, our jobs, the kids at our table with the same wonder and anticipation an artist has when she approaches the canvas? What if we decided to believe our purpose in this world really is to reflect the glory of God?”

β€”A Million Little Ways, @emilypfreeman

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