At the Style household we have committed that 2016 will be our year of demonstrating Southern Hospitality in our home, work, and community. To kick of this resolution, we are teaching our children what this idea of Southern Hospitality means.

At its purest intention we believe Southern Hospitality embraces four key concepts.

• Welcoming – Making people feel noticed and greeted in a friendly way. For this Winter, our kindergartener is challenged with seeking out someone at school who is alone in the cafeteria or on the playground and making them feel “welcome”. Our 2 year old is challenged with making a new friend at her tumble class. Mr. Style and I are each inviting a new family in our neighborhood or at work over for dinner each month.
• Demonstrating Kindness – We are going to spend this Spring focusing on kind words. Each day we are going to begin with a compliment to each other and each day we are tasked with giving a compliment to someone we come across at school or work or in the community.
• Giving – We are going to spend this Summer giving back to our community. Each month we will pick a different service project that includes something each of the children can help with, and work together to give of our time and talents.
• Being Respectful – We believe that respect flows out of being truly thankful. We are going to spend the Fall picking something each day to be thankful for and at the end of each day, journaling the reasons why we are thankful for that person, place, or thing. During the holidays, we will revisit what we wrote about and reflect on our blessings.

December will be the culmination of our focus on Southern hospitality. We plan to use the month to assess how well we as a family progressed on the 4 key areas. We also plan to host several events at the house where we can truly practice our improved sense of Southern Hospitality.

This is not a tradition or something we have tried before. Our experiment in Southern Hospitality, as a family endeavor, will mean all the things I love most about our foursome – quality time, sharing and learning together. Look for updates throughout the year on how the Style family is really doing on our new year’s resolution here.