Hi! I am Cheryl
Inspired by my own family’s journey, I launched a system for creating unshakable, unbreakable families. Who knew something as simple as connecting with your family would be recognized as brilliant, but that’s exactly what happened when my 4 Gifts and Unstoppable Family Toolkit was awarded one of the top 5 Next Best Brilliant Ideas for Humanity!
As an author and speaker, I get to share our family journey and unfold a true pathway of how families can connect for life! The foundation for any conversation starts with the 4 Gifts that foster personal responsibility, effective communication, goal setting, and what it means to truly celebrate ourselves and others.
My message doesn’t stop at the kitchen table…the 4 Gifts are powerful at any table where people come together.
“Ripples flow out…not in.
Real change starts in our own homes with our own families first.”
Where Our Story Began. . .
After spending most of the day trying to figure out how to rob Peter to pay Paul, my sons Brian and David came bounding home from school to immediately announce all the things they needed to buy— socks, a school t-shirt, baseball cleats, etc.
As I stood there trying to add up how much we had spent in just a few moments of conversation, Brian, asked if I would take him to Walgreens for a tube of Chap Stick, and that was it—my emotional breaking point.
Yes, it was a tiny tube of Chap Stick that pushed me over the edge into a meltdown that stopped Brian and David in their tracks. After I regained a reasonable intelligence level, I realized we needed to ALL be on the same page.
That night, we had our first official family meeting. We also found 3 tubes of Chap Stick and our defining moment for change!
Our Story May Sound Familiar. . .
When this all started, our family was in the midst of some financially challenging times (understatement). As a result, we lost a lot, but what we didn’t lose was our family. In fact, our struggles brought us together, made me a better parent, and ultimately made us all stronger.
Of course, I was certain that our first meeting was going to be about me imparting all of my wisdom onto my children. At the time, I didn’t realize it… but looking back, I understand what an incredible opportunity it was to experience those times together. We had some of the most amazing discussions, and I can tell you today that our weekly tradition has paid dividends well beyond the time we invested.
A few years ago my family encountered some challenging times, and we lost a lot, but what we didn’t lose was one another.
Today, I consider our challenges to be our greatest gift. That gift, I am excited now to share with you.
We Learned to Dance in the Rain and
Become Unstoppable!
It’s Sunday night, and I have just rung the imaginary bell for our weekly family meeting. My oldest son, Brian, complains a little, but shows up on time with his goals from our last meeting. My youngest, David, comes bouncing in with nothing in hand, but ready to go. Brian is the appointed leader, so he starts the meeting with his highlights for the week. David and I follow, and then we all spend the next 20-30 minutes reviewing schedules, and sharing everything from our favorite motivational quote, something we’ve read, a positive affirmation and ideas we have for saving money.
As a parent, I learned as much from my sons as I ever taught them. Hearing what inspires them and why, as well as, what they were interested in, gave us an even stronger connection. I have to admit, many of the things they shared not only surprised me, but inspired me.
I 100% percent believe I would never have known some of their thoughts, feelings and experiences had it not been for the time we spent at our kitchen table on Sunday nights. It gave me the chance to get to really know my children in a way I never imagined… and it’s that foundation that has endured to this day.
It’s not about raising perfect kids or becoming perfect parents…It’s about learning how to communicate, support and celebrate one another through good and bad.
Cheryl Bassitt
My Son David’s Testimonial
One of the things I am most proud of in my life is my relationship with my family and friends. I can, with 100% certainty, credit that to my mom’s heartbeat for real communication. Growing up and all through high school we held weekly family meetings. I thought everyone had the same relationship with their parents that I had with mine. After leaving for college, I quickly figured out this was not the case. A lot of students came from broken homes and had little to no relationship with their parents. Even students who didn’t come from a “broken home” still seemed to have a broken relationship with their parents.
My mother’s initiative goes way beyond just reconnecting families. The principles she shares are key to building any healthy relationship. Her vision also goes way beyond helping families reconnect, but helping to build a better World. Building a stronger World, starts at home. She always talks about how ripples flow out, not in. I believe this is the positive “ripple” our country needs right now.
DAVID BASSITT
Today…I Wouldn’t Change a Thing
I wouldn’t take back those “difficult” years even if I could. Because we were “in it together,” we remain “in it” today.