Family??????

The modern world has a different definition of family than has been the norm for thousands of years. However, the basic principle behind a family hasn’t changed – caring. No matter what the type of family unit – single parent family, same-sex partners, nuclear family, joint family or step family – care for each other is the foundation of family...

To further this, in order to keep families strong the relationships amongst the members of the family have to be strong too. Each member of the family is unique and has his or her own personality. The interactions each of them has with other members of the family are unique. Nevertheless, the interactions need to nurture and strengthen the bonds between family members or the family will drift apart.

What Makes Family Relationships Strong?

There are quite a few factors that help strengthen family relationships. Some of the most important ones are:

Love – This is the factor that comes to mind first. Love is what is at the heart of the family. Everyone has the need to love and be loved and the family is where they give and receive that love first. In fact, the family is where we learn to love. Through love we learn about intimacy, privacy, belonging, caring and sharing. However, love doesn’t just come by itself; each family member has to work on it and nurture it.

Loyalty – Some would say that this is a natural offshoot of love. A family that is strong is devoted to each other. When dark times come, the family stands together to face them. They defend each other and stand up for each other when an outsider attacks. They cheer each other on to victories and commiserate with each other in defeats. They believe in each other.

Learning – Since the family is the first social interaction we have, this is where we have our first learning too. Families teach us about behaviour, skills and values. Strong families teach their members how to navigate the outside world but do not allow the outside world to rule them. They become examples to society of how families should be.

Importance of Family Relationships

In order for a family to be strong, the bonds amongst them need to be strong. Relationships are the bonds that keep a family together. If the family has a good relationship with its members, they will have a stronger commitment to each other. Family unity will be important.

Strong family relationships also mean better communication. The members of the family take out the time to talk to each other. The conversations could be about small things or big ones – that doesn’t matter. What matters is that the family members are connected to each other. They understand one another and listen to what the other person has to say.

The strength of family relationships gives members the impetus to appreciate each other. After love, this may be the most sought after need in a human being. Everyone feels the need to be appreciated; it helps us feel worthwhile and boosts our self-confidence. Stronger family bonds mean that when a family member appreciates you, it enhances your self-esteem and in turn makes it easier for you to express your appreciation.

In the end, strong relationships amongst family members are essential to keeping a family together. A family without good relationships falls apart very quickly and in doing so traumatises the family members on different levels. Too many family units falling apart and the fabric of society start crumbling. In other words, strong family relationships are the basic glue that holds society together.Times have changed. Our attitudes towards marriage, relationships and what constitutes a family have also changed. Relationships that were taboo once are now considered normal. Those resistant to these changes have predicted the breakdown of society and said that families are under attack. However, all that has really happened is that our concept of what a family is has evolved along with the social changes of the last 100 years. Families are still the foundation of society and they always will be.Without a family we end up navigating the calms, the storms and the choppy waters of life all alone. If we do not have a family to anchor us, we often fail at this navigation and drown under the force of everything life throws at us. Family gives us the strength we need to get through the bad times and celebrates the good times with us.