Making the decision to start a family is exciting. For many people, it’s a chance to build the family environment that they’ve always dreamt about. A family strong and resilient. But, how do you do that?
How do you and your partner (if you have one) make a better life for your kids than you had growing up if it wasn’t ideal? Or, if you had an amazing upbringing, how do you mirror that for your own child?
You’ve got to thrive as a family
It isn’t an easy task to grow and be a tight-knit clan. Raising little people and instilling values in them requires patience and a willingness to learn.
It also demands that you be the best version of yourself possible. Making use of other people’s experiences and the resources around you can go a long way too in raising confident and independent children.
Here are three actionable ways to build a family strong and resilient.
Create a family bond
One of the things that hold a family together is traditions. It’s something that you can all look forward to, and it also can make kids feel like part of a community.
To create a strong bond, embrace these 2 things:
- Traditions
- A sense of adventure
Traditions
Family traditions are a chance to get creative; craft new ones for specific holidays or any other time. Doing so can create unforgettable memories for parents and kids alike.
Or, pass down traditions that you experienced as a child. For example, we got to open our stockings on Christmas morning before our parents woke up.
Then we waited eagerly for them to make a morning coffee before being able to open the wrapped presents under the tree. It’s a fun routine that I want to carry on.
If you’re searching for a new family tradition idea, how about decorating the tree together during Christmas? Or having Sunday dinner together? Choose something everyone can enjoy and look forward to.
Adventure
Another idea for creating a family bond is to be adventurous. Having new experiences together can create an unbreakable unit over time.
You’ll get to see each other when you’re brimming with excitement, fearful, and moody. These moments will help you understand one another on a deeper level.
Want your family strong and resilient? Then you need insurance
This one might seem surprising. But hear me out.
People often assume that insurance is only useful in the event that someone dies or has an injury. But that simply isn’t true.
Insurance can also be a means of saving. The funds that accumulate in your policy’s cash value can be borrowed or withdrawn, if you need to do so.
Take time to find a good policy with an insurance broker, such as insurancegeek.com. The right one will listen to your needs and provide multiple policies if they provide more benefits than a single one.
Meeting your family’s best interests is what’s important here. Insurance can go a long way toward your kids’ financial security if you pass away, as well as saving money.
Talk Often
Communication is a pillar of any healthy relationship. The parent and child unit is no exception.
While it might sound obvious, let your kids know that talking openly and honesty is a must for your household. And demonstrate that in your relationship with your spouse.
Then this type of communication will soon become second nature for all of you. And you are well on your way to building a family strong and resilient as honesty is at its core.
A few tips for communicating as a family are:
- No judging
- Have family meetings
No judgment is the way to build a family strong and resilient
If you want a family strong and resilient, it’s important that you feel comfortable around one another. Otherwise no one will open up or be vulnerable.
One of the ways to create such an environment is to avoid judging one another. Allow people to express themselves freely without fear of judgment.
You can do so by actively listening to your offspring and them doing the same thing. Be encouraging too when they share about their day, their feelings, or anything else.
Have Family Meetings
Lastly, agree on a set day to meet as a family and talk. That can be a way to add structure to your communication.
It’s an opportunity for everyone to air their frustrations and discuss anything bothering them. This sharing time will teach everyone emotional intelligence.
With emotional intelligence, your children can help them enjoy greater self-identity and confidence than someone who’s not in touch with their emotions. And that’s a powerful asset for them – as well as for you as parents and adults in this busy world!
These family meetings might also be the time when you teach your kids how to have a healthy confrontation. That’s a great life skill.
What are some other ways to build a family strong and resilient?
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.
In a recent article I read, it talk about building a strong family and how communication is more than just talking. It reminded me of how the the apostle Paul put it: If your words are not understood by the hearer, “you will, in fact, be speaking into the air.” – 1 Corinthians 14:9
So, we do well to ask ourselves…Does what we say get through to our children, and do we really understand what they are trying to tell us?
Communication really is so much more than verbal – We could be saying one thing but kids see another side through gestures, facial expressions, etc. Thanks Missy.
Well done, Christy. We really enjoyed the part about communication. It is vital in building strong bonds.
All the things you mention in this post are important to creating a strong family bond, Christy. The only one I’d question is insurance, but it is definitely important to save.
Norah, you don’t consider insurance important?
Some. Not all.
Great article! When the family ties are strong we can handle any tough situation easily.
Agreed!
Very practical, thank you.
Very good ideas Christy :-)
TOO TRUE CHRISTY, CHINA
This is on-point and practical. Insurance – my sister and I were just talking about expanding the coverage for our folks as we realistically accept the fact that the parents are not getting any younger. It is funny how things line up when we are looking out for our unit.
Great piece & great tips!
good one…