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I’m Bill McCartney… It’s 4TH and Goal!

"Family Nights, Family Fun"


It’s snowing outside - too much for the kids to go out to play. Everyone’s cranky – the kids, mom, dad,. . . even the dog. What a great time for a family picnic!
I’m Bill McCartney… It’s 4TH and Goal!

For all of us who live in a place where the winters are cold, we’ve probably faced this scenario at some point. It’s cabin fever!

Get out a tablecloth and spread it across the floor. Break out some sandwiches and chips, and have a picnic in front of the fireplace! Then, take the opportunity to discuss how we can make even the worst of circumstances into great memories. This is just one example of how a night of family togetherness can be fun and teach valuable life lessons as well.

Here’s another idea. Give each child a tube of toothpaste to be emptied onto a paper plate. Once they’ve done that, and played with the toothpaste for a while, put a ten dollar bill on the table. Tell them, “You’ve got three minutes. The first person to put all of their toothpaste back into the tube wins ten bucks. Go!”

Of course, it’s impossible. And, the project can be turned into a terrific lesson. We’ll just ask our kids which was harder: squeezing the toothpaste out of the tube, or trying to get it back in?

Use the illustration to talk to them about how easy it is for words to come out of our mouths, and how hard it is to take back the things we’ve said. Three minutes, and our kids know something more about the power of harmful words!

Guys, I know many of you are probably thinking, “We’ve tried to have family nights, but they’re always dry and boring.” Well, someone else has already come up with the ideas. All we have to do is adapt them to our families. Heritage Builders, a division of Focus on the Family, has produced several books full of family night fun. To order them, just call 1-800-A-FAMILY.

Dads, we can do it! Let’s designate a night to be devoted to our families, and stick to it! Our kids will love the fun. They’ll remember what they enjoy. And, guys, family nights are a blast!

I’m Coach Bill McCartney.