How to Build Positive Relationships With Family

Family can be a wonderful and complicated thing. Relationships with family members can go through trials and tribulations and be happy and loving, all within the same week. The more you put into your family relationships, the more you’ll get out.

Good relationships don’t just happen because you’re family. It takes time and effort to build love and respect. Take a look at some of the ways you can build positive family relationships.

Building Positive Family Relationships

Why Are Positive Family Relationships Important?

Positive relationships in a family setting can make children feel loved and secure. When children feel secure, they feel free to explore the world without fear. In addition, positive relationships often make it easier to resolve any conflict.

Families with positive relationships tend to be problem solvers. Positive examples in the home will give children the tools they need to build healthy relationships of their own in the future. Good relationships also make living together easier and the environment a happier one.

Spend Quality Time Together

Spending quality time together is a great way to build positive relationships. There’s only so much you can learn from one another on the car ride home from school. Do your best to eat meals together and go on family outings.

Spend one-on-one time together talking and finding out about each other’s days. It can help to turn off phones and devices so your attention and focus are entirely on the person you’re talking to. If you have a partner, schedule regular dates so you have quality time together away from the children.

If you have young children, playing games together is a great way to connect. Whether it’s a board game at home or a game of soccer in the park, it all adds up.

Communication and Support

Your family members need to know that what they say is important. When someone wants to talk to you, put your phone down and give them your full attention. 

It’s important to remember that everyone makes mistakes. It’s good for family members to know that they have support, even during difficult times. Many parents have found themselves searching for bail bonds for their older children when it’s the last thing they wanted to be doing.

Be ready to have difficult conversations and address problems when the need arises. No matter how old we get, we all like to voice our feelings as young children do. Remember that praise is often the best way to encourage good behavior.

If your child is behaving badly, punishment only goes so far. Discipline is what teaches children how to do better next time. Everyone in the family should feel valued and appreciated.

Be a Team

Every member of the family should be playing their part. You can make sure this happens by sharing the chores at home and creating a sense of belonging. Think about including your children in some of the decision-making. 

Let them have a voice in the family so you can help to build their understanding and maturity. Sit down as a family and write down some family rules together. For instance, we are always respectful of each other.

When a problem arises in the family, try and resolve it together. If one person is always the one solving problems, they could become resentful of other family members. Consider options together and work towards a solution.

Appreciate Each Other

Don’t let it be a case of not knowing what you’ve got until it’s gone. Family is something that should be appreciated and valued. You can value family members by taking an interest in what’s going on in their lives.

Make sure everyone is included in a family discussion and everyone is heard. It’s not always easy to remember to appreciate those you love when you have a good family life. Sometimes it can help to show a contrast.

Think about heading to a local soup kitchen or food bank to volunteer as a family or make donations of toys to local hospitals at Christmas. This can be a good reminder for all families that not everyone is as lucky.

Acknowledge Differences

Not everyone is the same. A family is like a body; each part of the body is essential for living well. It may be difficult to live with someone who is different from you but you can still love and accept them for who they are.

Praise family members for their abilities and skills. Help them to improve the areas where they may be lacking. Keep an open line of communication so your family members know they can talk to you about anything.

No Family is Perfect

Perfection is a myth. There is no such thing as a perfect family and there never will be. Each person will mess up in their own way and each person will need to be supported through it.

Holding your family to standards of perfection will only lead to disappointment. Make allowances for anyone who makes mistakes and show forgiveness. Children especially need to know that they aren’t disappointing their parents. 

Respect Boundaries

Although families are tight-knit, you can’t live in each other’s pockets. It’s healthy to have time apart from one another. It’s important to respect each other’s boundaries and let family members have alone time.

For instance, you may find that your teenager wants to spend a lot of time in his room. It’s okay to allow this while encouraging time with the family from time to time. Similarly, there may be possessions that one family member doesn’t want others touching. 

Setting boundaries is healthy and breaking boundaries can break trust.

Let Go of Control

People are never within your control. The sooner you accept that you don’t have control over your family members, the easier it will be to build genuine relationships. If you’re constantly trying to control people and situations, all it will lead to is stress.

Enjoy the unpredictable and be willing to go with the flow. Family life never runs to plan.