Cues for Every Family Rhythm

Every family has a rhythm. 

For some families, morning is crazy. It just is. You have some people who are ready for the day, and others you have to drag into it. 

Dinner may happen all together, or you may have one parent who works at night. 

Or sports or other activities may have you running in different directions. 

Bedtime for some families is, well, crazy. 

In other words, your family may look different than another family because of schedules or basic wiring. 

But if you look closely at what your family does and when, you may find there are consistent things that happen every day or week. 

You get up. 

You are on the go. 

You eat. 

You sleep. 

So instead of trying to add one more thing onto the list of things you already do, what if you simply made a little bit more of the times you already have? 

We call these the Parent Cue times, and they show up every week in the Parent Cue app. 

We believe that you can leverage specific times you already have to build habits of connection, encouragement, and faith. 

These may seem super-basic, but the reality is that for most of us parents, there are so many things happening that it’s easy to look back at a moment and realize you could have been more intentional in it than to look ahead at one. 

Here are some possible times that may be a part of your family’s rhythm either every day or in the span of a week.

Morning Time (any kid, any age): Start your child’s day with an encouraging word—even if they are grumpy or don’t respond well. 

Feeding Time (for babies): Use this time to reflect on what’s most important.

Cuddle Time (for preschoolers): Pray for your baby, toddler, or preschooler. 

Bath Time (for preschoolers): Talk about Bible stories and the character of God. 

Drive Time: Use this time to connect with your kid/teen and get to know what’s going on in their life and what’s important to them. 

Meal Time: Talk about faith and character. 

Bed Time: Pray for your elementary-age kid, preteen, middle schooler, or high schooler.

Your family may have other times as well. For example, families with kids with special needs may even have additional times like therapy or doctor visits. 

Build habits during these times. Repeat them. For example, send your kids off every day with encouragement. You may not do this well every day—but every new day is another chance. 

Whatever your family rhythm looks like, see if there’s a way you can look at things you are already doing, and do one simple thing to connect with the heart of your child instead of merely getting through it. In the process, you’ll build habits that will build connection, faith, and character.