Just something interesting

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  • CindyS
    Participant

    My husband, an IBM’er passed this on to me. I’m not recommending anything (website, people, etc.) I just thought this was intriguing and thought you might enjoy reading it:

    Many years ago, I heard Hyrum Smith (founder of The Franklin Institute, which merged with Covey Leadership to become today’s FranklinCovey) describe what, in his family, was called The Magic Hour. He and his wife (he confessed that it was mostly his wife’s discipline that made it work) ensured that all of their children–I think there were six of them–were out of bed and sitting at their communal table, working on some project of value to each child between 5:00 and 6:00 each morning. Of course, to set the appropriate example, mom and dad participated, too. Mostly, it didn’t matter what each child was working on, as long as the project had value to the child, and as long as the child worked diligently on the project.
    They accomplished several family goals with this practice: The children learned discipline, family involvement, how to share, the value of work…you get the picture. The parents used The Magic Hour to connect with each other, as well as to connect with their children; to instruct, to coach, to guide, to love.
    Mr. Smith said he and his wife were often asked how they got their children up at 5:00AM. Their answer was that they put the kids to bed at 8:00PM. Flummoxed, the questioner would invariably ask, “How on earth do you get your kids to bed at 8:00?” “Easy,” they would say, “we get them up at 5:00.” You have to love the simplicity and harmony in that precious family ritual.
    What could you do with a Magic Hour each day? You don’t even have to have children to do it. And, it doesn’t have to be in the morning, although, I would propose that early in the morning is the best of times for it. What could you accomplish with an extra hour every day; 365 hours every year–just over nine 40-hour work weeks? Nine weeks!
    What kind of children could you raise? What kind of person could you become? What kind of life could you have? Do you believe in magic?

    Thanks to Sean Alexander, http://www.vitalthought.com

    Jodie Apple
    Participant

    Very inspiring!  It would take a lot of creativity and prayer at our house to get dad’s will on board the 5 am train!!  Laughing

    Thanks for sharing!

    mj

    Simple yet clever idea Cindy and the simplest ideas are always the best.  Thanks for sharing.  How simple it is to put the children to bed at 8pm and then get them up at 5 am, all we need to do is instill habit, especially as when they are young, and stay with it.  I think Magic Hour could and should catch on, though early morning would not work for us, as dad leaves the house at 5am, so we would need an evening Magic Hour.  Now that the girls are 17 we often sit together making things for Christmas, for gifts and for the places where the girls volunteer, dad has funny hours in the military, so sometimes he can join in and sometimes not – however I guess the Magic Hour could be made to work in whatever way works for each family.  Again thanks for sharing.

    Esby
    Member

    You have no idea how much this post is meaning to me! Thank you.

    I’ve been working on our wake-up times and morning routine. My goal is to make the mornings both pleasant and productive (both of those things, not just one) for the family (for EVERYONE in the family).

    The Magic Hour post is inspirational…again, thanks. I love the questions about “How do you get them to bed so early, how do you wake them up so early?” and I love the answers.

    mommix3
    Member

    That’s inspiring! Thanks for sharing.

     

    Oney_Jones
    Member

    I love it!

    Oney_Jones
    Member

    I was just thinking about what I could offer (bribe??) to get this idea going in our home.  My husband is a very early riser and consequently very early to bed.  I am not.  Embarassed  Part of the reason is that I work in a restaurant 3 nights a week and on those nights it takes me a while to wind down…which means I’m very tired if I awaken early the next day.

    My boys are all over the place on this one.  Undecided 

     

    Habit.  It’s all about forming habits.  Right now we have habits that are not so conducive to a happy, harmonious, well-ordered home.  It makes me tired.  Tongue out

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