It's within the family that we learn right from wrong, to think about someone other than ourselves, and to embrace the greatest lesson: love. We take what we receive from the family into the community at large, which is nothing more than a string of families woven into a whole. --W. Bradeaux, Deputy of US Department of Health and Human Services

Examine how parental control has changed and how to reverse that dynamic. How are we contributing to the breakdown in family values? Explore key elements that will assist in the reversal of this trend.

Explore alternative choices such as moving from emphasis on self to emphasis on others, competition to cooperation, non-constructive time to prioritized and quality time, and more.

Ponder what our family values are.

Seek creative solutions to what our purpose might be as a family.

How? See the following articles:

• A Crisis in America: Parenting Skills have declined to a point that it is a national emergency--and parents don't even recognize it.
  
  
• Guiding the Souls of Tomorrow: An article by a Parenting Initiative facilitator as published in Vision Magazine.
  
  
• When "Special" Becomes Spoiled
  
  
• The Development of Character
  
  
• Teaching the Importance of Service: An article by a Parenting Initiative facilitator as published in the Winston-Salem Journal.
  
  
• Kids Connect NC is a vehicle for parents to share a set of core values around the importance of engaging in community-building and service with their children.
  
  
• Moving on to Real Love Without Rescuing, Enabling, or Compensating

• Respect: Where Has It Gone? How Do We Get It Back?
  
  
• A Nation of Wimps: Parental Concern May Be Why Our Kids Can't Cope. An article published by Psychology Today.
  
  
• Fostering Goodwill in Our Children
  
  
• Teaching Compassion

• There's No School Like Home School

• Healthy Habits Grow Healthy Children
  
  
• Think Partnered Parenting Is Hard? A commentary featured on NPR's All Things Considered.
  
  
• Failure Is a Good Thing A commentary featured on NPR's This I Believe by San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll.
  
  
• Youth and Service
  
  
• Wanted: Committed Parents Who Set a Good Example
  
  
• Paul Harvey's Wishes for Children