The world we live in is becoming quite a scary place to raise children in. It seems that dangerous influences pull at our children more than ever before. Children are exposed to many dangers years before past generations were introduced to them. It is becoming more and more evident that families must work harder to become a stronger influence on children that than the rest of the world. It isn't by chance that we are a part of family units.

They are vital to our ultimate success and happiness in this life. So then, how can we strengthen our families, become closer, and ultimately be able to look to them for guidance and strength? We will discuss several easy ways to bring your family closer.

The pace of life only seems to be getting faster and faster. Our lives are full of activities, clubs, sports, school, work, and for some, church activities. At times we are left with little or no time for our family. There is no question that wholesome extracurricular activities are beneficial and help to teach teamwork, discipline, and hard work. There is, however, no substitute for spending time together as a family. A very wise man once taught that we should consider our choices for spending our time with the principle of classifying activities using the Good, Better, and Best filter.

Essentially there are activities that are good for us, but may not be the best way to spend our time. Family members should be involved in good things, but not at the sacrifice of the strength of the family. We might consider letting go of certain commitments that we are involved in individually in exchange for activities that can be done as a family.

Part of making time for family also involves families planning a family outing every couple of weeks or at least once a month. It isn't as important what the activity is so much as the fact that the family is together. One idea would be to plan activities around the different interests of each family member. This way each person feels included and the rest can learn about each others interests.

Another suggestion to bringing families closer together is eating one meal together on a daily basis. Whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, there are so many benefits to eating together as a family. It gives everyone an opportunity to tell what is going on in their lives, vent issues at school or work, and get advice and opinions from other family members, all while enjoying a good home cooked meal together. As we discussed before this can be a huge challenge and at times can seem impossible. However, if the effort is made it will pay great dividends in the future.