Family Matters
Our family are our flesh and blood. Our support network. Keep close to them.
What is Family?
Our family, our flesh and blood. Family means different things to different people. It can be defined as those who are related to us however many people look at their family as those who we have a particularly strong bond with.
They are the people who bring us up, the people who shape and mould us. The people for whom we should have the utmost respect.
Family comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s a roll of the dice as to who you get However a good family brings you wisdom, respect and a good grounding in life. They are the people we can trust the most in the world. The people who know us inside out and the people we can go to when in need. We should have good ties with our family, they are our blood.
Why family is important and 30 ways to have good family relationships below
15 Reasons Why family is important
- Bring us wisdom and impart their knowledge on to us
- Know us better than anyone else
- There for us when we need support
- Help to build a society we can be proud of
- Provide unconditional love
- We can trust them with anything we need to talk about
- Provide a basis for us to understand and have good relationships
- Help to shape our children’s future
- Promote positive growth and development
- Provide a sense of security
- Help us with decision making
- Provide a moral compass
- Give us a sense of belonging
- Provide us with discipline and structure
- Loneliness can be bad for human beings – humans are tribal creatures and used to being around other humans. Your family is your tribe
30 Ways To Have good Family relationships
How to Treat Our Family
- Children: Talk to them. Pass on your knowledge. Give them love and attention. Teach them. Prepare them for the world.
- Parents: Respect them – They bring us up and make us the people we are today
- Siblings – Be good to them. They have been through a similar journey to us and can be our greatest confidant
How to Have Good Family Relationships
- Schedule uninterrupted family time
- Respect family time – don’t get distracted or prioritise things over it
- Ensure you have a balance between work and home time
- Have one to one time as well as time with the whole family
- Be genuine with them
- Have open and honest communication
- Lend a helping hand when needed
- Take an interest in the things they do
- Be aware when a family member is going rough time and help them out
- Find the good – Use Praise instead of criticism
- Ensure you look after yourself to be at your best for looking after them
- Work as a team
- Laugh together
- Don’t shout
- Make the family a safe space where it’s ok to talk about feelings and emotions
- Set common family rules
- Exchange stories and experiences
- Share the chores
- Pick up the phone or go & see them
- Ask – Don’t assume
- Show appreciation and love
- Do fun things
- Try new experiences together
- Make collective decisions about things such as days out
- Eat together and share meals
- Be there for them as they would for you
- Listen to them – And Really Listen
Time is very precious, spend it wisely. The old adage of not missing something until it’s gone is never a truer word said.
Further Exploration - Articles & Media
Website: Parents.com Fun
Many articles from parents.com giving examples of fun things to do with kids and the family
Book: The Family Book
A book from Todd Parr celebrating the love we feel for our families and all the different varieties they come in.
***This is one of the few affiliate links on Peaceful Soul"
Article: The Undeniable Reasons Why Family is Important
An article from aptparenting.com on the importance of family life
Website: Family Dynamics
A number of articles from healthychildren.org covering a variety of subjects from family relationships to being a "perfect" parent
Video: The Antidote for Loneliness
Uplift.tv brings an inspiring short video from Johann Hard discussing the tribal nature of human beings and how we can stop being lonely
Newspaper Section: Family
Latest Family news, comment and analysis from the Guardian newspaper
Article: 25 Fabulously Fun Family Activities To Bring You Closer Together
A Lifehack article covering 25 things do with the family from visiting museums to going on a road trip. Something for every family here
Newspaper Section: Families & Family Life
The Nytimes's archive of stories looking at various aspect of family life
Website: Parenting & Family Resource
Familylives.org.uk is an excellent resource for all things family related
Website: Care for the Family
Care for the Family is a UK based charity providing help on a variety of family matters
Forum: Friends and Family Forum
The friends and family forum dedicated to supporting you with yourself, family, friends and loved ones
Article: Improving Family Relationships with Emotional Intelligence
Help Guide's look at how to improve family relationships using emotional intelligence including teaching emotional choice and making a lasting impression through actions
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