The Journal
Rhythms
What should become part of ordinary life?
Every essay on Rhythms, strongest first. Each answers one real question, then gives you one thing to try this week.
Rhythms are a family's heartbeat. Drop them at your peril.
- DailyA meal together
- WeeklyFamily night
- MonthlyA date
- QuarterlyA parents' retreat
- YearlyThe vision gathering
8 essays
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How do we unplug as a family for a day?
A Screen-Quiet Sabbath for the Whole Family
Take the screens away only after you have something better to put in their place.
- How many activities should my child be in? When Your Kids Are in Too Many Activities Protect the meal and the day of rest first; let activities fill what remains.
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How do we plan the week together as a family?
The Weekly Planning Table: A Rhythm for the Whole Week
A week planned together stops happening to you and starts happening with you.
- How do we keep family routines going after a new baby? Family Rhythms With a Newborn in the House In a hard season, keep the heart of each rhythm and let the shell get small.
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How do we cut back on screens in the evening as a family?
Screen-Quiet Evenings Your Family Will Keep
An evening without screens lasts only when something better is waiting on the table.
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How do I preserve my grandparents' stories?
Recording a Grandparent's Stories Before They Are Lost
A family's stories are kept by one small conversation, and then another.
- How do we have date nights with young kids and no babysitter? Keeping a Weekly Date Night When You Can't Leave the House An hour chosen on purpose, every week, says we are still choosing each other.
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How do we eat dinner together when schedules clash?
Protecting Family Dinner When Everyone Is Busy
A few protected dinners, kept faithfully, give a family its heartbeat.
See where your family already stands
The assessment takes a few minutes, needs no email, and ends with a seven-day practice for the part of family life with the most room to grow.