How to Keep Relationships Healthy Within Your Family
Exchange daily stories., Eat together., Have a weekly family night.Designate a separate night of the week to engage in something oriented around having fun together., Encourage organized activities., Develop rituals., Laugh together., Read to one...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Exchange daily stories.
As soon as you get home, show that you’re excited to reunite with them by immediately speaking with your family members about each other’s day.
Ask your family members how their days were, and share a story from your own day with them.
Sharing the narratives of our daily lives allows us to be more in tune with our loved ones’ lives.
Seek out younger family members as soon as you get home.
Familial companionship means a great amount to children.
They will be especially excited to see you (and will likely be the most interested in whatever story you have to tell).
Record stories that one of you find especially interesting or humorous.
These recordings will have immense value later in your lives.
Consider telling a story together.
StoryCorps is an organization that records conversations
- usually between family members cooperatively reflecting on an experience they shared
- and stores these recordings in the Library of Congress.There’s even an app for that! -
Step 2: Eat together.
Have at least one meal with all family members present once a week.
Though simple, maintaining weekly meals can be a challenge with children of different ages and working parents.
Eat as many meals together as possible.Know that family meals can be entirely casual.
Don’t feel as though a family meal must be formal or special.
Emphasize the fact that you’re eating together, and that that’s what matters.
Alternate types of food at home or try a new spot if you’re going out.
Have a back-up plan.
Don’t expect every family meal to go perfectly.
When multiple people are involved, or you are depending on scenarios outside of your control, understand that time spent with family members may not go exactly as planned.
Make light of unexpected hiccups in plans, and recall that the point of spending time together is the time together, not the plan. , Consider the following options, and switch from one activity to another depending on your family’s preferences:
Go bowling.
Bowling a classic example of an activity that can appeal to all age groups.
To keep older kids interested, keep track of high scores for each family member, and see if you all can beat your own personal record.
Splitting into teams and scoring accordingly can increase feelings of cooperation and reduce competitiveness.
Go see a movie.
Lots of cities have discount movie theaters, or theatres that offer cheaper tickets on certain nights of the week.
Be aware that discounted days may be busier, however.
Stay in and play board games.
Depending on ages and interests, there are literally thousands of games to choose from.
Go for a group hike.
Sunlight, fresh air, and light exercise are not only healthy for your body, they’re great for your mind and familial comradery too. , Children learn and grow from interacting with peers and positive adult role models.
While it is important to make sure kids have family time at home, it is also important that they participate in organized activities outside of school.
This will provide important socialization, constructive energy use, healthy physical activity, and something for children, parents, and siblings to talk about and bond over.Attend children’s events together as a family.
The participant will feel your family’s support, and everyone can talk about interesting or humorous moments afterwards.
Siblings in particular can bond over shared interests in organized activities.
A brother or sister (or parent!) that has previously participated in similar organized activities can practice with a younger member of the family and speak with them about the challenges and enjoyment of those activities.
Limit unorganized extracurricular activities.
One of the reasons it can be hard to find time together is that kids often end up with many opportunities outside of the home.
Don’t allow extracurricular activities to take priority to the happiness and wellbeing of your family. , Build rituals around events or other reoccurring moments.
It doesn’t matter what they are, just that there is something that you all can look forward to enjoying together.
For instance, go out for Chinese food on birthdays.
Or, get donuts together once a month.
Have everyone choose a different type and share them.
Cast votes to determine the family’s most popular confection! Be flexible in the execution of your rituals.If you go the same pizza shop once a month, and they happen to be closed on a day you try to go, don’t let it derail the evening, or the ritual.
Try another pizza spot.
Let your family rituals develop naturally! Don’t work too much! Work is a major reason that kids don’t get enough time with their parents.
This is especially true for fathers and teens.
Too many hours at the office or out of town prevents your family’s ability to develop and maintain healthy, fun rituals.
Do not let your job overshadow your family. , Laughter has an incredibly positive effect on our relationships with one another.Be comfortable laughing with one another.
And don’t hesitate to laugh at yourself! Next time you all find something humorous, remember it and reference it later.
An inside joke can deeply strengthen the familial bond between you and your family members. , Read bedtime stories to very young children – and choose books that will amuse you both.As kids learn to read, sit with them in the evening and read a chapter from an age-appropriate novel.
In the company of adults or older children, read sections of an interesting or funny piece aloud to nurture feelings of comfort and support. -
Step 3: Have a weekly family night.Designate a separate night of the week to engage in something oriented around having fun together.
-
Step 4: Encourage organized activities.
-
Step 5: Develop rituals.
-
Step 6: Laugh together.
-
Step 7: Read to one another.
Detailed Guide
As soon as you get home, show that you’re excited to reunite with them by immediately speaking with your family members about each other’s day.
Ask your family members how their days were, and share a story from your own day with them.
Sharing the narratives of our daily lives allows us to be more in tune with our loved ones’ lives.
Seek out younger family members as soon as you get home.
Familial companionship means a great amount to children.
They will be especially excited to see you (and will likely be the most interested in whatever story you have to tell).
Record stories that one of you find especially interesting or humorous.
These recordings will have immense value later in your lives.
Consider telling a story together.
StoryCorps is an organization that records conversations
- usually between family members cooperatively reflecting on an experience they shared
- and stores these recordings in the Library of Congress.There’s even an app for that!
Have at least one meal with all family members present once a week.
Though simple, maintaining weekly meals can be a challenge with children of different ages and working parents.
Eat as many meals together as possible.Know that family meals can be entirely casual.
Don’t feel as though a family meal must be formal or special.
Emphasize the fact that you’re eating together, and that that’s what matters.
Alternate types of food at home or try a new spot if you’re going out.
Have a back-up plan.
Don’t expect every family meal to go perfectly.
When multiple people are involved, or you are depending on scenarios outside of your control, understand that time spent with family members may not go exactly as planned.
Make light of unexpected hiccups in plans, and recall that the point of spending time together is the time together, not the plan. , Consider the following options, and switch from one activity to another depending on your family’s preferences:
Go bowling.
Bowling a classic example of an activity that can appeal to all age groups.
To keep older kids interested, keep track of high scores for each family member, and see if you all can beat your own personal record.
Splitting into teams and scoring accordingly can increase feelings of cooperation and reduce competitiveness.
Go see a movie.
Lots of cities have discount movie theaters, or theatres that offer cheaper tickets on certain nights of the week.
Be aware that discounted days may be busier, however.
Stay in and play board games.
Depending on ages and interests, there are literally thousands of games to choose from.
Go for a group hike.
Sunlight, fresh air, and light exercise are not only healthy for your body, they’re great for your mind and familial comradery too. , Children learn and grow from interacting with peers and positive adult role models.
While it is important to make sure kids have family time at home, it is also important that they participate in organized activities outside of school.
This will provide important socialization, constructive energy use, healthy physical activity, and something for children, parents, and siblings to talk about and bond over.Attend children’s events together as a family.
The participant will feel your family’s support, and everyone can talk about interesting or humorous moments afterwards.
Siblings in particular can bond over shared interests in organized activities.
A brother or sister (or parent!) that has previously participated in similar organized activities can practice with a younger member of the family and speak with them about the challenges and enjoyment of those activities.
Limit unorganized extracurricular activities.
One of the reasons it can be hard to find time together is that kids often end up with many opportunities outside of the home.
Don’t allow extracurricular activities to take priority to the happiness and wellbeing of your family. , Build rituals around events or other reoccurring moments.
It doesn’t matter what they are, just that there is something that you all can look forward to enjoying together.
For instance, go out for Chinese food on birthdays.
Or, get donuts together once a month.
Have everyone choose a different type and share them.
Cast votes to determine the family’s most popular confection! Be flexible in the execution of your rituals.If you go the same pizza shop once a month, and they happen to be closed on a day you try to go, don’t let it derail the evening, or the ritual.
Try another pizza spot.
Let your family rituals develop naturally! Don’t work too much! Work is a major reason that kids don’t get enough time with their parents.
This is especially true for fathers and teens.
Too many hours at the office or out of town prevents your family’s ability to develop and maintain healthy, fun rituals.
Do not let your job overshadow your family. , Laughter has an incredibly positive effect on our relationships with one another.Be comfortable laughing with one another.
And don’t hesitate to laugh at yourself! Next time you all find something humorous, remember it and reference it later.
An inside joke can deeply strengthen the familial bond between you and your family members. , Read bedtime stories to very young children – and choose books that will amuse you both.As kids learn to read, sit with them in the evening and read a chapter from an age-appropriate novel.
In the company of adults or older children, read sections of an interesting or funny piece aloud to nurture feelings of comfort and support.
About the Author
Donald Stokes
Experienced content creator specializing in practical skills guides and tutorials.
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