Create A Family Constitution

Create a Family Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America documents the foundational laws for governing our country. These are the basic, or essential, rules from which our government derives other laws. If a constitution is important for a country or a value statement is important for a business, then why don’t more people create a family constitution? A family constitution is a written list of the important things you and your loved ones want out of your everyday relationships. When you think of your family’s values and desires, what words describe what you would like your family to stand for?

On one of our Burns family camping trips, we all took out sheets of paper and began to brainstorm what our Burns Family Constitution would look like. Just the activity of sharing ideas was very helpful and, frankly, quite insightful. We then came up with our own family constitution. We have it posted on our refrigerator. Periodically we need to be reminded of the commitment we made to each other to live by our constitution. No matter what the age of your children, let them take an active part in creating your own family constitution.

Burns Family Constitution

• Honor
• Trust
• Truthfulness and integrity
• Fruit of the Spirit:
  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
• Support and encouragement
• Time together
• Sharing and generosity
• Respect
• Follow our moral code

Now it’s time for you to create your own family constitution.