Taking care of a family in the modern day can be challenging. With aspects such as work, finances, health, wellbeing and social demands to think about, it can be overwhelming trying to plan meaningful time together.
We’ll explore ways to connect, how to set boundaries and ways to communicate to ensure you get the most out of your relationships at home.
Social connections
Fostering healthy social time for both you and your children is vital and these connections are crucial for wellbeing. It can be easy to switch on the TV or tablet to keep the little ones entertained. But, to make the most of social connections, try and limit screen time each day for you and your children, instead using this time to explore somewhere new, help them with schoolwork or play games.
To encourage social interaction outside of school, you might want to set up playdates with other children and meet up with extended family when possible.
Prioritise your relationship
Children need stable adults in their lives to be able to develop and make sense of the world around them. It’s important that you model positive relationships to foster feelings of safety and security.
Relationships prone to arguments or tension can cause stress and anxiety for the whole family. If serious and persistent conflicts do arise, it’s important to consider what’s best for everyone, whether that’s family counselling, mediation or even separation.
If you and your partner do decide to part ways, it’s a good idea to work with professional family law solicitors who understand the difficulties and can handle your case in the best interests of both you and your children.
Set rules and consequences
Child behaviour impacts the home greatly and negative emotions can be severely disruptive. To combat this, encourage open communication to try and nip issues in the bud before they become a bigger problem.
It’s also crucial to set boundaries and rules within the home. Try and involve your children in the creation of these rules so everyone feels like they have a say.
Rather than simply punishing your children for not sticking to the rules, explain what they did that was wrong and how they can change their behaviour. It’s also important to remain consistent with any consequences such as no screen time for a day or no pocket money for the week.
Build a routine
It’s important to build a routine that includes connecting at certain times each day for things like mealtimes and bedtimes. Children thrive on routines and will feel calmer when they know what’s expected of them.
While maintaining a happy and calm household is not achievable 100 per cent of the time, by following these tips you can enjoy a home where everyone communicates and understands the importance of positive family connections.
Love,
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