“Family isn’t an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox
The busyness of life can cloud what’s most important and cause relationships to drift apart. Before we know it, we are no longer as close as we used to be to those who matter most; our family. Instead of allowing the divide to grow, be intentional about reconnecting with your loved ones. Here are three habits to bring your family together.
1. Create a Daily Occasion to Unite
Family bonds thrive when they are reinforced on a daily basis. Unifying activities like breakfast at the dining room table, a nightly television show on the couch, or a walk around the neighborhood, help strengthen connections. When you repetitively spend quality time doing something meaningful, you form long-term bonds with the people involved. Analyze your family’s schedule and pick a time of day when everyone is home and available. Then, choose an activity everyone enjoys and make it an official time for family.
2. Talk More
This one is simple; talk more. In person, on the phone, through text, online – just talk more. One of the biggest hindrances to close relationships is the lack of communication. If you don’t know what to talk about, start by sharing stories about your day. Talk about your highs, lows and everything in between. If you see something cool while going about your day, take a picture and send it to a singular family member or a family group text. Take the initiative to get the conversation started, and if someone makes an effort to talk to you, make sure to carry on the conversation instead of being the reason it fizzles out.
3. Establish Traditions
Family traditions are valuable cornerstones that can bring together not only your current family, but your past/future family as well. Work together to create traditions (and carry on those that have been passed down) that evoke feelings of togetherness and harmony. Traditions can be tied to holidays, memories or recurring events. The important part to remember is to make it a true tradition, the activity must be repeated over an extended amount of time (i.e seasonally, annually, etc.)
“Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.” —Anthony Brandt
Family is a gift. Improving the bond you share only makes that gift more valuable. While it’s easy to feel you don’t need to proactively invest effort into tightening your familial relationships, you must remember that all interpersonal connections require maintenance. Try implementing these three habits to bring your family together.
