Few things in life are more important than your family. Yet few challenges in life seem as great as keeping your family together. However, you can experience close, healthy relationships with your family!
The foundation of a healthy family is a rock solid child-parent relationship. It’s important to provide structure and discipline so your children learn vital skills that will serve them well later in life. But it’s also important to provide an environment of safety and security that sends your children the message that they’re valuable people.
As a parent, you envision your children as successful and desire to put them in the best position possible to realize their fullest potential in life. With these important steps in the right direction, you can provide your children with the best opportunity possible to succeed while experiencing a deep, soul-nourishing connection with them at the same time.
1. Identify your child’s strengths. Every child has unique strengths and abilities. Every child differs in the way he thinks, works, and learns. If you find out what your child is good at and feed his confidence through encouragement, you’ll automatically gravitate toward success.
* The best way to find out what your child is good at is to discover what interests him the most. What is he passionate about? What does he like spending time doing? Encourage him to use his gifts and abilities in that area. He’ll feel closer to you and more confident in his abilities.
2. Spend time together. Quality time together as a family on a regular basis can open doors of communication that you thought would be shut forever. Regularly make time to spend together doing fun things with no distractions. Choose one of these ideas, or come up with your own:
* Help your kids with their homework and school projects.
* Eat meals together at the dinner table.
* Allow your children to choose a fun weekend activity to do together.
3. Take a family vacation each year. Choose a destination that has something exciting for every member of your family. Seek input from your children and spouse and choose somewhere that everyone agrees on. Pick out a destination that is educational as well as fun.
4. Talk to your children about your childhood. Show your children that you understand the struggles that they go through. While some things are best kept private, letting your kids in on some of your experiences as a child can draw you closer together. Your kids may receive correction better if they realize that you truly understand their point of view.
Most of all, strive to communicate to your children that they are your priority. The most effective communication between you and your children is your actions. What you do speaks much louder than the words you say. Choose actions that communicate your child’s worth as a person and your appreciation for his unique talents and abilities.
All it takes to create love, health, and harmony in your home is time, empathy and consideration. When your children know that they are your priority, that you understand their viewpoint and that you value them as people, they’ll trust you and you’ll experience a close relationship that will stand the test of time.
