Tips to Strengthen Your Family Bond

November 18, 2021

A family’s connected energy is priceless. It is the ties we hold within our units that help us handle obstacles and difficult situations. Our relationships build us up and provide us with the support we need to feel fulfilled. While spending time with loved ones this holiday season, use these tips to strengthen your family bond and reap the benefits of enlightened vitality.

Develop Healthful Communication

One of the most important things families can do to connect to one another is communicating in a positive, effective, and healthful way. Developing this kind of exchange works best when everyone:

• Maintains an open mind and listens to others objectively
• Is attentive to what others are expressing and feeling
• Notices and responds to nonverbal cues
• Takes responsibility for their thoughts and needs by using “I” statements

Working together to better understand one another helps the family unit develop a sense of trust. That trust helps to improve the familial bond and opens new channels for clear and honest communication.

Do Things Together

Families that spend time together grow stronger together. Plan activities in which everyone can participate. When everyone is in the same place at once, you share and learn about what others are doing each day, plans for upcoming events, and any exciting news.

Try scheduling a family breakfast each weekend or dinner during the week. Between work and school obligations, make time to enjoy a movie or game night, put together a puzzle, create fun arts and crafts, or even cook dinner together. These little acts may seem small, but they will help to cultivate laughter and happy memories that will strengthen your family bond.

Make Chore Time Fun

Turning housework into a group activity can help get tasks accomplished faster and create a sense of camaraderie within the household. Convince everyone to pitch in and tackle the tidying so that you will have more time for family fun. Better yet, chore time can be exciting by adding a fun or competitive element to the mix or singing along to some favorite music while you clean. If everyone is laughing, the duties that seemed like chores suddenly become enjoyable.

Articulate Appreciation

Be sure to remind the members of your family how much they mean to you. A kind word can make someone feel better about themselves and more likely to express appreciation toward others. Receiving a compliment or hearing positive feedback about ourselves instills pride and a sense of paying it forward. We are more inclined to recognize worth in others when we more freely hear it voiced to or about us. Our words carry a lot of weight, so be sure the ones you say to others are heavy with gratitude and acknowledgment.

Practice Forgiveness

Forgiving others, especially those within our family, allows us to learn, accept, and grow. Communicate your feelings in a calm manner and address the issue rather than the person or persons involved. Express yourself with empathy and respect, so that those within your family understand that the love you have for them is ever-present. Forgiveness can mend hurt emotions and help heal our hearts, as we are able to see and comprehend another perspective. To forgive helps others see acceptance in addressing and working through mistakes or problems. Through that acceptance, we are freed from personal burden and learn to become stronger together.

Find Help from Laurie

Families help us build solid foundations for personal growth. Building reliable connections cultivates trust and communication, which ultimately helps to strengthen your family bond. If you find it difficult to open yourself up to those around you, please reach out to Laurie Grengs Counseling. Laurie can help to realize and overcome communication hurdles to be able to fully invest in yourself and others, both emotionally and spiritually. Discover greater joy from within and embrace the strength of family.