10 Easy Ways to Grow Your Family Bond
Family is one of the most essential structures and support systems that one can have around them. Unfortunately, people have become too busy to create time for their families nowadays. Your family will be there for you no matter what, and they will always stand by you. However, if you do not make a deliberate effort to grow your family bond, you will soon become estranged and unable to connect. Let’s look into some of the simple ways you can increase your family bond.
Schedule family meetings
There are bound to be times when family members annoy or hurt each other’s feelings. You also need to involve members of the family if you are planning important events such as a birthday party or an upcoming family trip. A family meeting can provide an excellent avenue for members to clear the air and get to the bottom of misunderstandings. It would be best to set aside a particular day of the week for mandatory family meetings. If anyone has a pressing need or an urgent announcement, they shouldn’t have to wait for the designated meeting day.
Support one another
It feels good to know that your family will be there to support you in both good times and bad. Your family members should celebrate with you in times of joy and encourage you in adversity. You could foster a sense of support in your family by encouraging everyone to find out what other family members consider important and do their best to chip in. When family members, and especially children, feel supported at home, they feel anchored and create strong ties that will last a lifetime.
Gather around the table for dinner
Research has revealed that sharing meals as a family positively impacts the children’s well-being. Families who eat together also have an easy time communicating with one another and form strong bonds. Schedule a few nights a week where everyone is expected to join the rest of the family for dinner. Ensure everyone keeps their electronics away and switch off the television to eliminate all distractions. If some of your family members arrive home late or work the night shift, you could try gathering everyone for breakfast instead.
Spend some quality time
It might be a challenge to balance your job, other commitments, and time with your family. Scheduling quality family time gets more complicated as your children grow older because they prefer to spend more time on their own or with their peers. Ensure you get everyone’s input and ask your family members to agree on a common block of time each week where you could get together for a movie night, fun games, or simply to catch up with each other.
Encourage quiet time
We cannot stress enough how important it is to spend quality time with your family. On the other hand, you need to carve out some time for yourself. Parenting is no mean feat, and you need not feel bad for taking a break to recharge. You will be a better parent to your kids when you get some downtime and practice self-care. Children also need time away from their parents and siblings to decompress.
Take lots of pictures and videos!
One of the most common things you will see when you step into any home is family photos. These portraits tell a story of the past and are an excellent way to reminisce on the good old times. Your children are also bound to get excited to see photos of themselves growing up. Ask your family members to dress up and take a trip to the local photo studio to capture a few beautiful family portraits. Well, family videography would be great for important events such as birthdays, family trips, and graduations. Ensure you hire a top photographer to help capture those wonderful bonding memories!
Complete house chores together
When one person is responsible for all the chores in the house, they are more likely to become overwhelmed and resentful of others in the household. Doing house chores as a family fosters teamwork and helps take the load off one person. If your teens have other commitments outside the home, allow them to be flexible and set a deadline before which they should have completed their house chores.
Appreciate one another’s efforts
When you appreciate your family members for going out of their way to help you or finishing a task, they feel loved and valued. Express your gratitude when someone takes their time to clear the dishes or helps you with your to-do list. Ensure you also appreciate your parents regularly for all they have done to support you and provide for you.
Spend time with other families
As the saying goes, no man is an island. In addition to that, no two families are entirely alike. An excellent way to grow your family bond would be to spend time with other families and observe how they have managed to say united. Joining other families also fosters a sense of togetherness in the community and increases the likelihood that they will lend you a helping hand any time you are in trouble.
Volunteer as a family
Volunteering to help the less fortunate or contributing to a charitable cause will teach your children to be less self-centered and more empathetic. They will also learn to avoid taking simple things for granted, such as having a roof over their head or eating three square meals in a day. In addition to growing your family bond, volunteering could help your children appreciate that people are diverse and come from different walks of life. Families that volunteer together have higher self-esteem, improved mental and physical health, and fewer depressive episodes.
Wrapping up
There are many ways to grow as a family but you ultimately need to bond more. Remember, children raised in harmony and unity develop high self-esteem and crucial social skills to help them navigate the outside world. They also tend to perform well in school and in life. All in all, bonding is also good for the physical and mental being of your entire family.
