Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. His dream or vision, if you will, was that his four children would live in a nation where they wouldn’t be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of the character.
King Solomon one of the wisest men who ever lived wrote, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” – Proverbs 29:18. With a divorce rate hovering close to 70% for blended families it’s probably wise to establish a vision for your family.
A family vision board sets out the values, principles, priorities, and purposes for your family. Creating a family vision board can be a fun, inspiring and bonding activity. Here are some considerations in creating a vision board for your family.
#1. Vision vs. Mission
A vision board – also called a dream board – is a collection of images that represent your family’s goals and dreams for the future. These images aren’t just nice to look at; they also function as visualization tools.
A vision statement isn’t the same as a mission statement. A vision statement is a single statement reflecting all a family wants to be.
It’s well written and should be easy to remember. On the other hand, a mission statement is the steps you take to achieve your vision.
A vision statement must be developed first before creating a mission statement.
#2. Hold a Family Meeting
Get all of your family members together so everyone can contribute. I do mean everyone even your little ones, to allow everyone to feel like they have a say. Also, be sure to ask your family members to put away their cell phones and other electronics.
This doesn’t have to be done in one sitting. The last thing you want to do is turn creating a family vision into a chore your kids find miserable. Take into consideration the ages of everyone participating.
#3. Build a Vision or Dream Board
Ask each family member to bring pictures and images of what they want their family to be. Have blank pieces of paper and pens or markers on hand. Appoint a scribe with excellent handwriting because the board will be placed in a well-trafficked location so everyone can see it regularly.
#4. Ask Questions While Building the Vision Board
Compose a list of questions before building your board. Here are some suggested questions.
- What would a perfect blended family look like?
- What can we do to achieve this family model?
- What things are truly important to us as a family?
- How do we want to treat each other?
- How do we want to resolve our differences?
- What traditions do want to keep and create?
- What are the principles and guidelines we want our family to follow?
- What kinds of things do we want to do?
- What kind of feeling do we want to have in our home?
- What kind of relationships do we want to have with one another?
- How do we want to treat one another and speak to one another?
- What things are truly important to us as a family?
Remember the process is more important than the end product. I hope you feel inspired to create your own family vision board. If you do, please share it with us; we’d love to see it!
