Important Characteristics Of a Healthy Family Dynamic

  There is nothing more important than family. No matter what career choice you made, you are expected to do more than one person can do. Companies are forced to do more with less, and that equals adding more work to their associates instead of hiring enough people to do the job.   Beginning in primary school, children are pushed academically. They must bring home tons of homework because it is not possible to finish the work in a normal school day. Even on your wedding day while you are walking down the aisle in stunning dress, you have to take care of too many tasks that will happen soon after the ceremony (not to mention those that already happened before!)   It doesn’t stop there, We are people, and people need a social network. We need friends that we can unwind with and do fun things. Children need this as well. Putting your child in sports, dance, karate, or soccer teaches them how to listen to instructions. It teaches them the importance of teamwork and respecting themselves and others. Photo credit Kaitlyn Horton

Why we need a strong family unit

We can agree that the world pulls us in a hundred directions and the one commodity we never have enough of is time. Unfortunately, in order to handle our career and our social life, we push the family away. We think it is all good. We are all doing what we must and using our free time to do what we like. This is like having a tree that is never watered. Sooner or later, the tree will run out of resources and wither.

Building a healthy family

We know you have heard this a million times, but you must have honest communication between all members of the family. It is important to address each member of the family and respect their situations. Parents need to listen to their children and even if you think it’s silly, assist them. A child that is being bullied, does not understand his math, or wants to try out for the swim team but is afraid, needs guidance. You may think these things are childish. Of course, they are. They are children. Here are a few communication tips to help you get started.  

• Make it a rule to share one meal a day at the kitchen table.
• During that one meal, all cell phones are put on silent, the television is turned off, and there is no reading.
• Make eye contact when your child is talking

What you eat

Learn about the foods you eat. Make sure your child understands that having protein in their diet will give them energy for long periods of time. If you or your family start to run out of steam in the afternoon, have a snack to give you an energy boost.   If they are into sports, have them take a protein bar or some high-carb snacks to help them level their energy. Photo credit – Kenny Eliason

Acknowledge and reward

Set the guides for the responsibilities of each family member. When the family member lives up to their responsibilities, acknowledge it. This does not mean, go buy them a new bike. Let them have an extra 15 minutes of television time or let them select what dinner will be tomorrow.   Another reward for healthy choices can be sweets. It is okay to allow your child a few pieces of candy from time to time.   Tip: You do not want to get in the habit of buying gifts for accomplishments that your child should do. That takes away from the lesson. You don’t want them working for the prize.

Teach strong coping skills

Coping skills are learned. You must learn them and you must teach them. This is a way of showing the kids that there is no problem that cannot be solved. Learn to work as a team. This is a gift to your child. They know you will always rally around them. They will teach this to their own children one day.   Be sure you cope well around them. Kids will do what you do, not what you say. Let them choose their own path, and make them “prejudice free” – travel as much as possible so they can get familiar with different lifestyles and cultures and they will be more open to change when they grow up.

Place no blame

Assigning blame is not a good thing. It makes all of us feel bad. It is okay to point out what was wrong and to help them figure out a better way. They also need to learn to apologize and feel it is accepted within the home. It’s not about blame – it is a learning experience.   Authors Note: Outreach manager Wendy Dessler is a super-connector who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.