Stay in touch. Stay in touch with your physical surroundings by creating a home environment that helps you maintain balance and promotes clear thinking so you can make wise decisions. Choose to express your affection for your kids through touch regularly, such as by hugging them every day, to keep your relationships with them healthy and give them the confidence they need to make smart choices of their own.

Make connections. Connect with other people so you’ll have the support you need to make smart choices. No matter what season of life you’re in, be sure to invest significant amounts of time and energy into your marriage to keep it healthy and growing. Choose your friends wisely, avoiding relationships that suck the life out of you and building ones that provide mutual support. Find friends who you can trust to share your sorrow, concerns, and joys with on a regular basis. Know that, while you can’t choose your family members, you can make wise choices about how you will relate to them and how you will allow them to affect you.

Don’t hesitate to say “no” when you should. Never let guilt, anxiety, comparison, or competition cause you to accept an invitation to do something. Instead, examine your motives whenever someone asks you for a commitment of your time, energy, and talent. Continually ask yourself why you’re considering the activity, event, or project. Understand that there will likely be many good things you need to say “no” to because they simply don’t align with God’s plans for you right now. Don’t take on responsibilities that aren’t yours to take on. Trust that, if you’re not meant to do it, the person asking you will find someone else who can help. Don’t feel obligated to give a reason to people when you decline their requests; simply decline with a firm graciousness. Don’t feel as if you need to respond to people’s requests right away; take the time you need to think about them before replying. When you sense that requests will provide opportunities for you or your family to grow in your vision and values, then say “yes” with confidence. When it comes to the media’s influence on your family, don’t be afraid to say “no” to destructive forces by setting boundaries on your kids’ television viewing, Internet surfing, and other media use. Say “yes” only to media that will help them grow into the kind of people God wants them to become. Enjoy the peace that comes from making wise choices.

Adapted from 12 Choices Smart Moms Make, copyright 2007 by Robin Chaddock. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Or., www.harvesthousepublishers.com.  

Life coach Robin Chaddock is the author of Discovering Your Divine Assignment and Being a Wise Woman in a Wild World. She holds degrees in psychology, theology, and organizational management. An award-winning community college educator, Robin also encourages hearts, inspires change, and shares God’s deep, eternal love with audience members at conferences, retreats, workshops, and seminars.