1THRIVEr of the Month: Nathan, a True Inspiration and Role Model to His Kids
Mayra Kavan,
It’s that time again; congratulations to our 1THRIVEr of the Month winner, Nathan! And he’s our first ever Dad 1THRIVEr, woohoo!
We admit, we selfishly asked Sarah about her husband so we could have the insider scoop. Sarah had this to say, “He is the leader of our tribe! He always puts others first. Our kids admire him and respect him on every level. He is the calm to our crazy life and manages sporting events, dance, and dinner by himself while I’m at work. The best part, he does it all with a smile.
I should add too he has a stellar beard!❤️😍”
Nathan is the Associate Director of Operations for a foundation that builds supported housing – with smart home technology – for combat veterans. On top of this, he also coaches football. So you can imagine how busy he must be on a day-to-day basis. All that on top of raising three kids? Phew, that’s the job of a hero!
Nathan told us why he and his family use their 1THRIVE Center every day, and how:
- To help the kids learn independence by setting their own goals
- For organizing important documents
- Tracking chores and family events
- Helping the kids assist mom and dad with organization
- Using a family center as a central hub for planning
Getting the whole family involved
The day doesn’t seem long enough for the life of Nathan! He lives with his family in Jefferson City, MO. His wife, Sarah, owns a salon, and their three children are very active with sports and school. Shay, Taylor, and Alyx have their own 1THRIVE Centers to help them with schoolwork and other activities.
“Our kids organize important papers and documents, track chores/upcoming schedules, and personalize their own systems,” Nathan told us. “We have a 1THRIVE Center for each child as well as one main family center. For each child, we customized by hanging a photo of them above as well as name decals added.”
Not only is it clear whose center belongs to who, but each child can also decorate theirs however they want, to match their identity and demonstrate their creative spirits. That’s half the fun of having a wall organizer, after all, making it your own and having it reflect who you are. The other half is staying on top of your world.
“For us, it was all about enabling our kids to help us manage chaos and stay organized.” Nathan continued. “The 1THRIVE Centers have empowered them to help us while also teaching them important traits that will be valuable now and moving forward for them.”
A new method to the madness
We asked what Nathan and Sarah did to stay organized in the past. “File holders combined with a family calendar and corkboard.” he said. “Before the 1THRIVE Center, we had a makeshift bulletin board that we would pin papers on, so it was a hodge-podge of a mess.”
Finding an organizational system that’s right for you and your family can be a tough journey. You may go through countless systems before you find one that sticks, and usually, the one that sticks is an all-inclusive, simple, and easy to maintain wall organizer.
Nathan and his family have found their sweet organization spot, and it’s helped them not only take care of chores but also teach the children new skills.
“Our new 1THRIVE Centers give our children ownership of some of their own tasks while teaching them important traits such as responsibility and accountability,” Nathan said.
Having regular chores to do gives kids their own form of self-reliance. It strengthens their ability to not only keep motivated but to think of others, as well. Whether it’s helping to clean the living room or put away their toys when they’re finished playing, they’re starting to take responsibility for themselves. Later in life, they’ll be thankful to us for helping to teach them how to do what was once seen as intimidating.
Bringing the family together
Having less mayhem and unfinished chores in the house means more time to make fun family memories. Especially when it comes to vacation time!
“We enjoy going to the beach every summer and our kids look forward to the time away to unplug as much as we do. It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of life, and the slower-paced days of vacation with no schedule is something that our family adores.”
Oh, and even the bad memories have stuck with Nathan. He recalls a time that was a massive learning moment for him as a father.
“My middle daughter fell off a bed a few years ago and complained of pain in her arm/elbow.” He told us. “My typical reaction is, ‘you'll be okay.’ She continued to complain a day later, and I asked her to lift something heavy and could instantly tell she really was in pain. We caved and took her to the doctor to get checked out to discover that she had actually fractured her arm. Needless to say, I felt terrible and about 2 inches tall.”
Nobody’s perfect! And we all need some help now and again when it comes to both parenting and life planning.
Good organization is a lifesaver
Expert planning and uncomplicated scheduling can take a lot of weight off your shoulders. And hoo boy has Nathan experienced this firsthand. There’s no worrying about unfinished chores and forgotten appointments if it’s all up on a very visual and eye-catching board, is there? It gives you space to breathe and enjoy other things. Like sports, vacations, and as Nathan told us, just spending time together.
As Nathan and Sarah condense their chaotic daily lives into a digestible schedule, the kids are learning new important life skills. The ability to set their own goals, complete their own chores, and plan for future events is a priceless thing. Now that’s THRIVing
1THRIVE creates beautiful, customizable command centers with interchangeable components that support your efforts to live a more organized life. Find your ideal 1THRIVE Center here and follow us on Facebook for more advice on living your best life.
