A few years into our marriage, Jared and I started the important conversation about raising our kids. We wanted clarity on the big stuff—our parenting philosophy and the valuable lessons from our own childhoods.
Why We Created a Family Crest
During an annual vision-casting retreat (where we mapped out the next twelve months), we developed not just family vision and mission statements, but something more tangible: our Family Crest.
What exactly is a family crest?
Traditionally, crests functioned like personalized stamps or trademarks:
"The terms 'family crest' and 'coat of arms' have become interchangeable, but they started with tangible differences... originating from European customs in the Middle Ages."
Today's meaning: Modern crests represent values and principles that define organizations, families, and even military units.
Our Vision: More Than Just Cool Symbols
We wanted to develop characteristics and guiding principles that would:
Make our kids recognizable as "Weavers" through their conduct
Create a foundation for our family's way of life
Update: This wasn't just theory! Now with our kids at 10 and 7, these core values still guide our daily conversations—with one phrase we started teaching as early as age 2.
Our Crest-Building Checklist:
Focus on principles, not rules — Applicable across various situations (not specific like "Weavers clean their rooms")
Keep it memorable — Limited to 6-8 points for easy recall
Display prominently — Currently in a Target collage frame mixed with family photos
Remain flexible — Open to discussion and additions as our kids grow and contribute
So here are the guiding principles in our Weaver Family Crest. I hope it inspires you to create yours!
