What Does Your Family Stand For:: Creating a Family Motto

My husband and I had a marriage motto before we ever had kids, and it happened to work well to adapt it for our whole family. Our motto is “Together or not at all.” Unity is one of our biggest core values as a family unit, so to us, this means that everything we do we are in it together. This doesn’t always mean that each of us is a part of every single thing one of us does, but it does mean that we are all committed to supporting and cheering each other on in every endeavor we undergo, even when it’s hard or inconvenient. It also means, if a particular decision or outcome doesn’t work for the good of our family as a whole, we don’t do it. Period.

A family motto is a short, memorable phrase that captures the heart of your family. Having a family motto can help instill values and identity in your family and bring you together. It’s a short phrase you repeat regularly as a reminder, and as a lens through which to run your decisions. A good motto should be short, to the point, easy for kids to remember and agreed upon by everyone in the family.

A family motto should not be confused with a family mission statement. A mission statement would be longer than a motto, usually a few sentences or more, and a more detailed way of listing your family’s values and purpose.

Interested in creating your own family motto? A good way to come up with one is to journal or brainstorm through some of the questions below;

-What are your family’s core values?
-What are your family’s strengths?
-What would your family like to grow in?
-Is there a line from a song or movie that captures the essence of your family?
-Is there a particular Bible verse that resonates with your family unit?
-What are some adjectives that describe your family?

Some example family mottos could be;

We can do hard things.
Love God. Love others.
Be kinder than necessary.
Be the change.
Be the good.
See the good.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.
Do the next right thing.
Above all else, love.
Work hard, play hard.
Be quick to listen and slow to speak.
Pay it forward.
Present over perfect.
Go the extra mile.
Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose. (For those of us who are fans of Friday Night Lights)

Do you have a family motto? If so, I’d love to hear it and why you chose it.

Shannon Mangerchine
Shannon lives in Central City, New Orleans with her husband, Jeremy, and three sons, Noah, Eli and Zeke. She left a career in Human Resources to take on her dream of being a stay-at-home mom. During this time, she and her husband founded a non-profit called Bastion Resources with the purpose of inspiring others to live a life of intimacy with God. Shannon is passionate about creating community and engaging in meaningful conversation around the dinner table. Recently, she created The Intentional Daily Journal to help people live with more purpose and clarity, which is available for purchase on Amazon. In her free time, Shannon enjoys all types of fitness, trying new restaurants, reading and discussing books with her book club, coffee dates with friends and hanging at the park with her family. Shannon is constantly creating new healthy recipes and sharing them on her blog Dinner Done by 9am.

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