Building a strong and happy family is a dream each member wants to achieve. If each one has a goal and start to develop a vision of what good family relationship is all about then there is no reason that a family will fail. It's very important that parents will set a good example for their children in order to foster a strong bonding in the family.
They should be the first to show mutual trust and respect for each other, express love with words and actions, care and support. If the parents can work together in great harmony then it is easy for their children to follow them. It begins with the parents and their relationship can reflect on the entire family.
Instructions DIFFICULTY: Moderate
Things You'll Need:
- Love, respect, understanding, care, forgiveness, support, communication, trust, praise and time.
Step 1Encourage each member of the family to communicate openly and honestly because this can build a strong relationship. Each member of the family is valued for his or her unique opinions and contributions. Happiness within the family is developed when each member of the family is fairly valued, meaning, no one is more valued than the other. Sometimes, older siblings have more right to expression than the younger ones so the parents should never play favoritism in order to promote family solidarity Step 2
Always show love to one another. Try to say encouraging words every single day. Unconditional love is love without strings attached and this kind of love should be felt by each member of the family. It does not have to be earned or given as a means of control by the parents but it should be given freely.
Step 3
Take time to explain any misunderstanding and avoid shouting whenever you discipline your children. They learn from their parents so be careful with your words and actions. The discipline that parents will give should match the offense. Parents should also consider the extent of the punishment since it will entirely depend on the age of the child or teen. Most parents take away privileges and this is proven to be an effective way to discipline children. Be always fair and open to accept apologies because showing forgiveness to your children will teach them to be fair and humble.
Step 4
Try to show that honesty, trust and respect are privileges that needed to be earned. Siblings who want to borrow clothing or money from each other should ask permission or be true to their words when they say they will repay it in order to gain trust and respect. Parents who scream when they are angry at their children but expect children to control their temper will possibly lose respect when their children grow older. Parents should handle conflicts in a mature way so that children will learn proper behavior. A mutual respect between parents and children is the most important way to build a strong and happy family. Parents make many mistakes too. Being able to admit these mistakes and showing your children that you can admit when you are wrong builds honesty, trust and respect.
Step 5
Parents should give praise when it comes to the accomplishments of their children. Some parents believe that too much praise would cause children to think highly of themselves but this is not the case because it depends on how you give the praise. Give praise when its due because children love it especially when it is heartily and sincerely given by their parents.
Step 6
Spend quality family time together. It can be challenging especially if the parents have lots of work and the children get older too but it is worth all your efforts. Making time to do things that everyone enjoys together will create wonderful memories. Wonderful memories creates closeness to each member of the family that will last a lifetime.
Step 7
Be considerate to each other because this is a nice way to keep a strong bond within the family. Always remember that your family is a unit and every member needs to be considerate and help each other especially with house chores. House chores should not be given by one of the parents only. Everyone in the family is important and each member will experience stresses everyday so it is vital to show concern to a loved one who is in need of help.
Step 8
Learn how to compromise to help establish family rules. A family will have disagreements no matter how close and loving they are. Compromise is important since it's a concept of finding agreement and mutual acceptance through communication when there is argument. Blaming one another will not give good results so try to avoid this kind of action.
Step 9
Take shared priorities if you want to build a strong and happy family. There will be circumstances that the whole family needs to group together and go in one direction. Going to vacations together or spending time with close relatives is an example. There are also circumstances when family members need to put other things first and focus more on family matters. Children also need time to be with friends. Personal time for parents is needed as well. There should be balance in order to have harmony and happiness within the family.
Step 10
Try to listen attentively to your children and keep in mind to the things they say. Oftentimes, children will ask the wrong people when they have issues they feel troubled about without directly asking their parents for help. Just by listening to children will give parents opportunities to offer the needed guidance that young people ask for in times of trouble. During this time, parents should be careful and sensitive enough not to ruin the trust that their children or teens have for them so that they can develop a strong relationship that allows their children or teens to return again in the time of need. As a parent, always give the assurance that you understand and love them no matter how deep the problems they may have in life. It is always the responsibility of parents to guide their children.
Step 11
Give a sincere apology to the ones that you had hurt in your family. If you had hurt a family member's feelings then give the assurance that you'll be more careful and say sorry your actions. When you forgive, it means that the issue is over and try your best not to bring the issue again. Once forgiveness has been given and accepted, then both people who are concerned need to move on.
Step 12
Avoid talking about financial problems in front of the children. You can encourage your children on how to save and spend only for the things that they truly need but do not give them the stresses that only adults can handle well.
