 Family Life
Find Your Way to Character Heights Video
Audio/Video Script:
On the street
Dr. Wally: "Well hi! It’s the Lewis family! So you’re all out shopping
today?"
Family: "Yeah!"
Dr. Wally: "It looks like it could be a costly venture!"
Mom and Dad: "(Laughter) You got that right. Yeah. Sometimes!"
Dr. Wally: "So if you don’t mind my asking, do they have
unlimited resources for buying anything they want with Mom and Dad paying?"
Dad: "Oh no!"
Mom: "I don’t think so! Mom and Dad are on a budget and so they’re on one
too."
Dr. Wally: "Ah. So you mean they have a certain amount that they can
spend and don’t just get anything they want?"
Mom: "They have an allowance and so we buy their basic needs and if they
want anything else, it comes out of their allowance."
Dr. Wally: "So even when they’re young they learn to be sensible. You can
make better decisions or find sales. It pays off, huh?"
Mom: "Yes."
Dr. Wally: "Ah. That makes a lot of sense. Now let me ask you, as part of
their development into good citizens, do they have any obligations to the
family?"
Mom: "Of course. We have to have rules and everybody has responsibilities
and chores that they have to do and not only do they do their chores but we do
our chores and teaches them responsibility."
Dr. Wally: "Okay. So everyone does some part in the family. So what are
some examples of things they do to keep the family system running?"
Dad: "Well, they do chores around the house like wash the dishes, take
care of the clothes, and take care of their rooms. They have a bathroom they
need to clean up. They also have pets they need to take care of."
Dr. Wally: "Wow. Does anything good come from that? Does anything good
come from having those responsibilities?"
Daughter 1: "Yeah. It helps us to realize that we all do have to work
together to make things work well and to run smoothly."
Dr. Wally: "And in the process you learn some things that are going to
serve you well as an adult, huh?"
Daughters 1 and 2: "Yes."
Dr. Wally: "Well, it sounds like a lot of things are working well. Let me
ask you if there’s ever a break down in the system, has there ever been a time
when the girls haven’t done something they were supposed to do? Has that ever
happened?"
Mom: "Oh never happens! (Laughter) There have to be some consequences.
When we set the rules and let them know what they’re supposed to do, they know
that there will be consequences because we set those at the same time."
Dr. Wally: "So you sit together and discuss what the rules will be and
decide, ‘Now if it doesn’t get done, what’s going to happen?’.
Mom: "Yes."
Dad: "And everyone understands what’s going on, what the consequences are
when they don’t do what they’re supposed to do."
Dr. Wally: "Yes. And is there anything you do to try to make sure that
your rules are reasonable? Does it help that you talk together when you set
these rules?"
Dad: "Yes it does. I mean, if you get a chance to talk about it and if
everybody talks about it, they all buy into the system and if there’s a problem
we can discuss it. We develop the rules as a family."
Mom: "And they know that these rules are just arbitrary but they’re
things that need to get done in order for our family to function. That way we
can have more play time."
Dr. Wally: "If they were rules that were goofy, you would discuss them
and would figure it out and adjust the rules accordingly. Wow. Now along with
all those things, is there anything that you do to teach character, cultivate
character? Let’s ask you ladies. What does your family do to build character?"
Daughter 1: "Well, every week we get together one night a week to discuss
things and have fun, play games, we watch a movie, and we usually have a lesson
about a principle or something that is important and will bring our family
together."
Dr. Wally: "So you sit down and discuss things. And you develop this
culture about what really matters. Anything else?"
Daughter 2: "Our parents set an example for us- an excellent example of
reality, of the things they help us with and the things they let us do by
ourselves and the things we see them accomplish."
Dr. Wally: "So you’re saying that they practice what they preach, huh?"
Daughter 2: "Yes, certainly."
Dr. Wally: "Ah. Sounds like a good combination of things. Anything else
you can think of that helps your family develop strong character and work well
together?"
Mom: "Routines, Dr. Wally. I think routines help us know what we have to
do in order for things to go smoothly and that makes a big difference."
Dr. Wally: "So you have a schedule and you work together and when
everyone does their part, it runs well, doesn’t it. Well it looks to me like
you’re doing it well. It’s sure good to see you and I hope you can find another
dozen pairs of shoes or whatever you can afford. It was good to see you!"
Family: "It was good to see you. Bye! Take care."
Dr. Wally: "Good bye!"
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