Family Relationships
|
A relationship, I think, is like a shark, you know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies. |
So family relationships can be built and enhanced at family reunions... But why are they important?
As this family quote states:
One's family is the most important thing in life. I look at it this way: One of these days I'll be over in a hospital somewhere with four walls around me. And the only people who'll be with me will be my family. |
Our lives are built upon relationships and what more important relationship is there than that of the family. Our families can bring us the greatest joy in life.
Prince Andrew said, "I believe fundamentally that the family is the most important thing in life." (This quote comes from an article, which I love, by Rita Offen:
“Family, the Most Important Thing in Life.”)
Successful family relationships aren't easy and they don’t happen automatically. They take work, dedication, love and commitment. And, if you’re not proactively building a relationship, it is automatically disintegrating.
How to build healthy family relationships
Simply remembering your family and helping them remember you is a great place to start. (Check out
www.art-for-your-heart.com
for ideas.)
There are HUGE dividends to regular family routines such as household chores, a regular bedtime and eating dinner together. Did you know that, according to the American Psychological Association, these routines can help increase a child’s sense of identity, health and academic achievement? Family traditions, such as visiting with relatives and attending family reunions, also help establish identity, self worth and a sense of belonging.
The family is both the fundamental unit of society as well as the root of culture. It represents a child’s initial source of unconditional love and acceptance and provides lifelong connectedness with others. The family is the first setting in which socialization takes place and where children learn to live with mutual respect for one another. A family is where a child learns to display affection, control his temper, and pick up his toys. Finally, a family is a perpetual source of encouragement, advocacy, assurance, and emotional refueling that empowers a child to venture with confidence into the greater world and to become all that he can be. |
How to build healthy relationships
with both your immediate family and your extended family (Raising Children Network):- spend quality time together
- positive communication
- work together as a team
- appreciate each other
5 elements of a healthy relationship
will also help build a strong family (www.perfectpartnercoaching.com):- be fully committed
- accept personal responsibility
- take care of yourself
- tell the truth
- do your part of the work
All interpersonal relationships need: social associations, connections and affiliations. In other words, a strong family needs fun family reunions!
Author Margaret Paul, Ph.D., suggests the most important thing in a marriage relationship is that each spouse practice “good will” towards one another. This same good will behavior is equally important in fostering any family relationship and has many far-reaching positive benefits.
Good will means:
- Be kind, loving and caring toward yourself and others
- Care about how your behavior affects others
- Heal your own addictive behaviors
- Have the “highest good” at heart
- Be open to learning from your conflicts
- Take responsibility for your own feelings
If all else fails, simply practice the golden rule - treat others as you would like to be treated – and watch your family bring greater joy and satisfaction to your life.
Subscribe to my FREE e-zine:
Kindred Connections
The e-zine dedicated to all things family.
Return to the top of Family Relationships
Go to The Importance of Family Reunions
Go to Family ReunionSuccess Home
