If asked about a financial portfolio, people have no problem understanding and answering questions about it.  However, the concept of a “family portfolio” is alien to many.  Just as currency is invested in a financial portfolio, time and undivided attention is invested in the family portfolio.  Is your family portfolio filled with time and undivided attention?  Are dividends being invested in the emotional and spiritual accounts of your children?
 
In order to ensure that your family portfolio is being managed properly, it would be a good idea to do the following.  During the day, check in with yourself.  Stop, sit still, and ask yourself “Have I done enough.”  Then check in with your kids.  Ask them if they need anything from you.  Then listen.  Invest time and undivided attention.  Listen to them, play with them, and talk with them.  So many parents say “I love you” too often.  They misguidedly believe that telling their children this ensures that they feel loved.  However, this is not love.  In fact, if taken to the extreme, it could be viewed as a type of mind control.  Children know if they feel loved.  They know if they feel safe.  The old saying “Actions speak louder than words” is a great reminder that it is better to talk less, and act more.  Say “I love you,” but also show it by investing time and undivided attention.