Family relationships are very important. They can help us grow and thrive, or they can cause significant stress and strain that we may not be able to recover from. There is no right way to build healthy family relationships, but there are some things you should avoid doing if you want a healthier relationship with your family members.
Importance Of Healthy Family Relationships
Having a strong support system is important to everyone. When it comes to family, the relationship becomes even more profound and important. The number of family relationships that we will have over the course of our lifetimes is far more than any other relationship and, understandably so, it can be difficult to maintain strong connections with them given how busy everyone seems to be these days. However, maintaining those ties through thick and thin is important for your mental health as well as their own!
It’s also often said that you become like your parents which may or may not be true but what isn’t up for debate is whether or not children learn from watching their family interactions. Whether they’re seeing healthy communication patterns between loved ones (which should always include laughter!) or dysfunctional behavior such as yelling at each other all day long; kids are absorbing everything around them and learning about life.
Since family is so important, it’s crucial that you build healthy relationships with them through all the good and bad times. Here are some tips for building healthier family relationships!
What to do
Don’t shy away from difficult conversations. We all have issues with our families from time to time and that’s okay! It doesn’t mean you love them less or they don’t love you back it just means that everyone has a different way of viewing the world which can result in conflict at times. The best thing to do is be open about your feelings and try to understand where the other person is coming from as well.
It’s important to give everyone a voice in family discussions. You wouldn’t want your opinion to be shot down every time you open your mouth so why would anyone else? Make sure that no one feels left out and instead, encourage input from each individual. This way, it will help create more understanding between the different parties involved without making someone feel like they’re not getting heard which can lead to further issues later on.
Spend some quality time with them even if you live together or see each other frequently. There is nothing wrong with taking an evening off for yourself but make sure that at least once a week (or however often works best) everyone takes sometime away from their hectic schedules to sit down and talk to each other. This can help build a stronger connection between family members over time which is important when you really need someone in your corner!
What not to do
Don’t assume: There are no rules for how families should behave with each other, so don’t assume your family looks like everyone else’s. Unless there has been some kind of trauma in the past (in which case it would be helpful to get professional help), most problems between parents and kids come down to miscommunication more than anything else.
Don’t take things personally: When we were growing up, our parents probably said lots of stuff about how we were feeling, or reacting to things. Since parents are older and wiser than their kids, it’s easy for us to believe that our problems with them must be all about the other person – when in fact, most of the time they’re really not (see #s one and two!).
Don’t give up: If you’ve tried talking out your differences but have gotten nowhere fast, try taking a break from each other instead! Give yourself time apart so that both sides can cool down before trying again. Distance can work wonders for helping people see each other with fresh eyes.
Don’t compare: Don’t make comparisons between your family and another family, or a television show you watched the night before, because it is hurtful to hear about how wonderful life could be if only they were more like this one person’s family – who happens to have all their issues resolved! Everyone has problems that are unique to them- so don’t put pressure on others by insisting that they change what makes them happy in order to meet society standards of perfectionism.
Don’t get stuck: The best thing parents and kids can do is try to keep their relationship moving. When we talk about things, or when we stop talking for a while and then start again – it’s important that everyone be willing to let go of the past for long enough so that something new can happen between you. If there are certain issues in your family which cannot seem to move beyond, don’t feel discouraged- but instead explore professional help! There may be underlying problems much deeper than what meets the eye on surface level.
Conclusion
Having a strong support system is important to everyone. When it comes to family, the relationship becomes even more profound and important. The number of family relationships that we will have over the course of our lifetimes is far more than any other relationship and, understandably so, it can be difficult to maintain strong connections with them given how busy everyone seems to be these days. However, maintaining those ties through thick and thin is important for your mental health as well as their own! It’s also often said that you become like your parents which may or may not be true but what isn’t up for debate is whether or not children learn from watching their family interactions. Whether they’re seeing healthy communication patterns between loved ones (which should always include laughter!) or dysfunctional behavior such as yelling at each other all day long; kids are absorbing everything around them and learning about life. Since family is so important, it’s crucial that you build healthy relationships with them through all the good and bad times.
