Our family bonds are the building blocks for every other relationship in our lives. We are around them the most, they have the most opportunity to see us at our truest self, and it is our opportunity to be vulnerable and still loved for (or in spite of) who we are. Parenting is no easy task. It requires immense amounts of personal sacrifice and depends on constant demonstrations of love and respect.
Certainly, God wants our families to succeed and prosper. God wants us to have spiritually healthy families so we can produce godly offspring (Malachi 2:15) and expand His family.
But while family relationships are important, we all know strong families don’t “just happen.” Sustaining a marriage and raising children are challenging things to do. If we want to have happy homes, we have to work hard to create them because while friends come and go Family is forever.
1. Quality Family time Together
Quality family time is about making the most of the time you spend together as a family. Between long workweeks, school activities and household chores, family time can be hard to come by. Still, healthy families always find time to be together, no matter how busy they think they are. They know that time spent together is crucial.
Family time could mean engaging in shared activities—eating meals together, playing games, going on picnics, watching sporting events, enjoying recreational activities, etc.—but it doesn’t have to. “As the Scriptures instruct us (Deuteronomy 6:7), the best time spent together is everyday casual time, without distractions like TV, music headphones, video games and smart phones,” “The real key to building relationships is to spend time together in all types of circumstances, including mundane, daily activities.”
2. Positive and constructive communication
Positive communication is about listening without judgment and expressing your own thoughts and feelings openly and respectfully.
Much of their communication occurs while they are spending time together. To understand each other, family members have to invest the time necessary to share their feelings, opinions, concerns and perspectives. No subject is considered off-limits. It helps everybody feel understood, respected and valued, and this strengthens your relationships.
Healthy families also work at developing constructive communication skills. This includes learning to be open and honest, but still speaking in a loving manner (Ephesians 4:15)—focusing on the kind of conversation that builds others up rather than the type that tears them down (Ephesians 4:29); listening carefully, without distractions; and not “mind-reading” or jumping to false conclusions when another person is speaking. By practicing good communication skills, family members show they respect and are genuinely interested in each other.
3. Appreciate Each Other
Appreciation and Valuing each other is at the heart of good family relationships and helps to motivate family members to continue to behave in a positive way toward each other. When we treat others, especially our family members, as we would hope and want to be treated, then we can achieve the fruits of a high-functioning family,
It also helps build confidence within a person, so we have the wherewithal to meet obstacles that are inevitably going to come our way. It also helps build confidence within a person, so we have the wherewithal to meet obstacles that are inevitably going to come our way.”
It should be expressed frequently, both verbally and with meaningful gestures. Let them know you enjoy spending time with them. Done sincerely, expressions of love and appreciation deepen the bond between family members and strengthen the family unit.
Summing Up
No matter what you choose, any time you spend investing in your family is well spent. These simple times creating family connection strengthen your family bond. Be present, be YOU, and choose to connect with those closest to you. You’re creating the most important bonds of your life, teaching your children how to relate to the world around them, and making memories that will last a lifetime.
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