110 degrees magazine - Index

110 degrees magazine - magazine_08 - Index

BY GINAMARIE CORNELIUS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUSSELL BYRNE
BIGGER THAN THE
BRADY
BUNCH
GINAMARIE HAS FOUND A WAY BACK TO
“THE GOOD OLD DAYS” WHEN FAMILIES
WERE SOMETIMES COMPOSED OF PARENTS
WHO EXERCISED EFFECTIVE DISCIPLINE IN
RAISING HAPPY AND FULFILLED CHILDREN.
It seems in vogue these days to speak scornfully of the pleasant and happy
home life depicted in such shows as Leave it to Beaver, The Brady Bunch, and
Ozzie and Harriet. The prevailing sentiment is that family life in our modern
culture is never like that and probably wasn’t like that even in the 50s.
However, it is absolutely possible to create a family environment in which
parents never raise their voices in anger and reproach, and one in which a
child can be happy, fulfilled, and respectful towards adults. My husband, Jeff,
and I are raising our seven daughters in exactly that kind of atmosphere.
Years ago I decided that some day I would have a family with six children.
After our first daughter was born I amended the vision from “children” to
“daughters.” Last year we slid past the goal when our seventh daughter was
born. The fact is, I wouldn’t mind having nine daughters. Or a dozen!
Once you identify and put into place the principles of healthy family life the
old line about “the more the merrier” becomes an amazing reality. Every
evening our house becomes like a quiet but cheerful sleepover. The children
are taking care of each other; the older ones caring for and even mentoring
the younger ones. My job just keeps getting easier.
There’s nothing magical about how our home came to be the way it is. It
resulted from our managing our home-life as a deliberate activity according
to a set of eight rational principles.
March/April 2008 www.110mag.com 29