All families have strengths. What are yours? Complete the "Discovering Our Family Strengths" chart to identify your own family's strengths and areas you'd like to grow stronger. Each family member eight years of age and older should complete the chart. This way you can get a better picture of how each family member views the family.
After you have completed the chart, notice where your family agrees on strengths. These are your family strengths. Also notice where family members rate strengths differently. Talk about what these differences mean.
Next, go to the Goal Setting Worksheet. Choose activities that continue to build at least one of your areas of strength. In addition, choose one or two areas that the family agrees need improvement. List the activities you will do and when.
Discovering Our Family Strengths Chart
| Strength Area | Very Strong | Some Growth Needed | Much Growth Needed |
| Caring and Appreciation | |||
| Time Together | |||
| Encouragement | |||
| Commitment | |||
| Communication | |||
| Adaptive Ability | |||
| Spirituality | |||
| Community and Family Ties | |||
| Clear Responsibilities |
Goal Setting Worksheet
| Strength Area | Our Goals | Activities We Will Do | When |
| Caring and Appreciation | |||
| Time Together | |||
| Encouragement | |||
| Commitment | |||
| Communication | |||
| Adaptive Ability | |||
| Spirituality | |||
| Community and Family Ties | |||
| Clear Responsibilities |
Written by Stephen F. Duncan, Professor, and Kristi McLane, Research Assistant, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.
Many church leaders have counseled members to build and solidify their family strengths. In order to build our strengths, it's important to occasionally take stock of how the family is doing in areas such as family home evening, family scripture study, family prayer, and family recreation, as well as in showing forth love, kindness, and encouragement. Citing a National Association of Counties program, Elder L. Tom Perry mentioned "Periodically evaluate family strengths and needs" as one practice that could help families be successful today, a day where "family life, where children and parents communicate together in study, play, and work, has been replaced by a quick, individual, microwaved dinner and an evening in front of the TV set".1 Monitoring the strengths in our family is one way to fulfill the counsel, as Elder Perry has reminded us, to "be attentive to our own families".1
References
- Perry, L. T. (1994, May). Therefore was I taught. Ensign, 36.