4 Essential Values Of a Happy Family Life
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The typical family setup is one that many people dream of – particularly if they grew up without one.
Mum, dad, kids – in an ideal world this group of people stick together through thick and thin, have each other’s back, support, and love each other unconditionally.
The reality is that a happy family life needs to be worked on.
You have a number of different personalities each with their own agendas, living in close proximity with each other day in and day out.
Throw in the pressures of school and exams, work, money, outside influences, and at times that family unit can become messy and toxic.
The way to work towards a happy family environment involves some simple steps, but they must be consistent.
The most important are outlined below.
Spend time together
It is all too easy when life gets in the way to get to the end of the week or month and wonder what on earth the rest of your family have been up to, particularly as the children get older.
When they are small you are compelled to spend time together (unless your children are in full-time day care), but as children grow up through the school system they become more involved in external activities and spend less and less time in the home.
While this is important in their growth and development, it is still vital to maintain a core foundation of family time which will give a solid foundation for the future.
Mealtimes are the perfect opportunity to sit together and talk.
Charity Meals is a charitable organisation that promotes eating together as an essential part of social cohesion, and believes this sentiment starts in the home.
The expectation to do it every day is unnecessary.
Even if it is just once or twice a week, it is enough.
Make it a regular but immovable day and time, that each member of the family must stick.
This is one of the reasons why the traditional ‘Sunday Lunch’ is such an institution – it is the one day when very few people have any obligations and is the perfect time to get together at the end of a busy week, just before the start of another busy week.
Listen, even to your younger kids
Every person’s opinion in a family needs to be considered a valid one, and therefore listened to and taken into account, even if they are still young.
While there may be differences of opinion – and as your children grow into feisty teenagers – they need to be able to present an argument and defend their views in a safe environment.
Parents will always have the ultimate last say in matters that relate to the health and safety of the family.
But let your children have the floor and present their views.
You might end up learning something new too.
Share the burdens
As early as possible, encourage participation by every family member in the daily domestic chores.
Assigning certain roles in family life might elicit a few grumbles short term, but in the long term, it will engender a deeper sense of purpose and understanding of the work it takes to run a family and help to develop a more compassionate nature.
Respect each other’s boundaries
While it is important for parents to know what their children are up to, particularly in respect of their online activities, it is equally important to respect individual boundaries and give everyone space within the family unit.
Creating that stable, secure foundation will be beneficial to the development of children, and to maintaining a happy marriage as well.
These values should run through as a thread in every aspect of family life.
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