My family is my life. They are keep me going, make me happy, help me want to strive to be a better person and keep myself as healthy as possible. I do these things for myself too, but knowing that they are the most positive force in my life is the key to endeavor on.

If you’re a mother and/or a wife, you most likely understand me. But, sadly, maybe you don’t. Maybe you put others things first, or are just overwhelmed with it all. I hope that I can show you a view of what my family life is all about and hopefully you can set yourself off in a more positive direction.

F un – We attempt to do fun things together. Spending time together, even if it’s just talking, reading silently together or eating dinner together is a priority. It doesn’t have to cost money and can even be something as silly as telling old stories that we’ve heard a thousand times before, but still keep us in stitches.

A lways stick up for each other – We are our best allies. Even if one of us has done something wrong, we (my husband and myself) may punish or at least point out the offense if it’s something small, but we help each other through the tough times. We know that forgiveness is always possible. That’s unconditional love. Forgiveness doesn’t mean letting someone get away with their wrong, but forgiving them from our hearts.

M eeting friends – We make an effort to get to know each other’s friends. Our home is open to our children’s friends. We love to spend time with them, but not get in the way. We do give each other space, but it’s important for our children to feel comfortable bringing their friends to us. This helps them to feel comfortable telling us about their problems and worries.

I mportant – We work at making everyone feel important to gain self-esteem. This is done in many ways but one of the ways that work best for us is providing responsibilities. They are not only chores, but things such as doing our best at school and work  and doing our best at being kind and courteous.

L ove – You were expecting that weren’t you? This is the most important ingredient in my family. We may not like each other all the time, but we always love each other. We try to show it every day in different ways. We say it every day, give hugs and kisses and help our children see that we (my husband and I) love each other too.

Y es – Say it as often as possible! Now it doesn’t mean that we give in to everything. In fact we are very strict parents. But, if one of our children asks to sleep over a friend’s house and we’ve never met the parents, instead of saying “no” we would say something like, “How’s about we go out to the park with your friend and her parents instead?” If we’re asked about doing anything educational, it’s yes! We think of ways to be more positive to each other all the time.

The Parent Bloggers Network has teamed up with Windex Outdoor All In One to introduce you to this new product by sharing Your Best View.  I hope you’ll share your words and photos about anything that relates to Your Best View. It can be something that makes you happy from nature, like the view of a sunrise, a smile of someone you love, or a hobby that you enjoy. Have fun!