7 Ideas for Welcoming People “Home”

“From the second I walked in the door, this felt like home.”  My friend smiled, then grabbed my shoulders and gave me a hug.  I paused, “That is about the best compliment you ever could have given me.”

I deeply desire for others to feel a sense of peace and warmth in my home.

To this day that is my goal… to make people feel at home when they step foot through our door.

What is most important is how I make them feel when they are here.  It matters what they experience – from the way we treat them, to the way we act towards each other, to the furniture and decor we choose.

There is no one who feels this sense of home more profoundly than our own children.  It becomes so much a part of who they are they cannot ever fully separate from it.

One of the ways we can impact our children’s sense of home is to be excited to see them. To literally welcome them with open arms and hearts.

If my kids get off the bus, I swing the door wide open and say, “Welcome Home!!”  When I pick them up from practice I put my phone away and I welcome them into my car with a big smile and eye contact.  I want them to know that they are the most important – not whatever else is going on (and there will always be something).

What can you say when your kids come in the door, or your spouse?  What can you do to show them that they are wanted and welcome?

Here are some simple ideas:

*smile big and make eye contact

*have snacks waiting for them

*hang a welcome home sign on the door

*ask about their day with specific questions

*play  music and light a candle

*put away devices so that you can concentrate on them

*give lots of hugs (see my post on the physical touch love language)

Here is a WELCOME HOME SIGN that you can use with your family!

You can download this sign HERE:  Coming.Home

This is part of the “Treat your Family Like Guests” series.