Written by Jonathan Zalesne
For many people, familial relationships are incredibly important. Whether it’s your relationship with your child, your children’s relationships with one another, or relationships within a blended family—you likely strive to keep them strong.
Unfortunately, as much as you may try to keep the peace, arguments are going to crop up from time to time. Sometimes these disagreements could escalate, leading to icy relations within the family.
If you’re struggling to nurture your family’s relationships, don’t lose hope. There are things you can do to help promote harmony in your household, making your family unit stronger than ever.
Consider some of them.
Don’t Ignore Conflict
Are your kids arguing about who gets to pick the movie again? Has your child been distant towards their stepparent recently?
When it comes to little issues like these, it’s tempting to ignore them. However, little arguments can quickly grow into huge problems, which can then lead to resentment or deeply-rooted issues in the family.
Instead of choosing to turn a blind eye to a little spat in your family, try to encourage a resolution. By doing so, you’re making a conscious effort to keep the peace, and you’re setting a great example for your kids to do the same.
Encourage Open Communication
Some people aren’t good at expressing their emotions or plainly stating what is wrong. If a member of your family has been bottling up their emotions, there may be a risk of an angry outburst coming soon.
To avoid this, encourage members of your family to communicate. If there’s an issue, try to handle it quickly. Be there for your children as much as possible—when they’re comfortable talking to you, they will. This open communication will save your family from many unnecessary fights.
Spend Time Together
Very few families are going to spend all of their time together. It’s normal and healthy to want some time to yourself. But does it seem like your family members are ALWAYS doing their own thing?
Why not try having a family game night, movie night, or even just make it a point to have a meal together? These activities are easy to organize and usually a lot of fun to do, too!
Don’t Play Favorites
While you may love everyone in your family equally, this doesn’t mean that you don’t sometimes play favorites when it comes to your kids. You may not realize that you’re doing it, but if one child feels that you’re always taking another child’s side, this could lead to resentment.
So remember to try spending equal time with your kids (or as much as they will allow). And be conscious about not taking sides during fights.
Treat Each Other with Kindness
It’s normal for families to have a certain banter within a family. Siblings are notorious for picking on one another, and usually, it’s lighthearted. However, sometimes, family members can become quite mean to each other.
The next time you overhear your children calling each other names, explain how their behavior could easily be hurtful. Even jokes can be offensive to some people, so never assume that it’s all just fun and games. Instead, encourage your kids to speak kindly to one another. You can start by speaking kindly to them, and they’ll learn by example!
Consider Family Counseling
If you want to go a step further in nurturing your family’s relationships, consider family counseling. Your counselor will help you understand ways in which you can improve your communication and behavior as a group. They may also shed light on issues you hadn’t even noticed.
Family counseling is a great option for any family, but can especially be helpful for blended families. People don’t always get along, and this is inevitable. However, you don’t have to ignore the issue or struggle to keep the peace. Seek out a family counselor to help make your family’s relationships stronger than ever!