A home is where there is love and understanding between the members of the family, while a house is just a place where members come in to sleep, eat, and then disperse.
Status Quo
Technology such as television, video games, and Internet is catching up in every household. Statistics show that an average child spends four to five hours in front of the television set while only five to 10 minutes with his parent. Divorces are also on the rise due to lack of time and communication. Every adult in a family needs to work towards creating a close knit kin. Such a scenario is not built-in one day. Each family ought to take baby steps to be close to each other and be there for each other through thick and thin. It is important to set some time aside for bonding, and sparing time to laugh and cry with each other. Below are a few strategies that can help us in building a compact family.
1. Family Meal Time
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University shows that children who eat meals with their families are less likely to try marijuana or smoke cigarettes, and more likely to succeed as confident individuals. A family that eats together tends to bond well. Meal time is the time when family members sit together and chat and discuss their day. Relax and ask about each other’s day. Share laughter and complement each other on how they fared a situation in school or at work. This boosts the confidence of the child and helps them face the situation at a place rather than avoiding it. Family meal time is not about elaborate meals. It is about spending time together and help reconnect lives by placing technology on hold. Switch off the TV, music, and phone. Making meal time a priority with the family will help lay a foundation for the children showing them ways to thrive and flourish in their community.
2. Guidelines for the Family
Each family should make their own guidelines such as designing your mission statement. This statement could state what the family stands for, such as love, loyalty, honesty, cleanliness, hard work, discipline and respect for elders. Each family has the flexibility to design their own mission statement and guidelines. However, upon designing the guidelines, adults have to contribute equally towards it. There are no exceptions!
3. Sharing Private Moments
Each family is entitled to have their share of private moments especially during the time of happiness and sorrow. Making sure the family is present during special events or occasions such as the time of birth of a child, marriage of a relative or a sibling, housewarmings, festivals and birthday celebrations. This can accentuate life and help make memories while nourishing the emotional and spiritual being.
4. Creating Family Traditions
Every family should have their own ritual to celebrate a festival or a birthday or an anniversary. Be unique by designing it together as a family and this will help make it a fun event for the children while helping to create everlasting memories.
5. Communication and Love
Communication helps families to open up with their emotions and that helps in giving up the grudges against each other. Result is love and understanding. Parents ought to be open to ideas since that expression will lead to boosting confidence and help in improving relationships. Buying a house from your hard earned money is easy. The real challenge is to make it a home and help create memories. Patience is the key while practicing the above tactics to help create a close-knit family. Good luck!
