If you are a parent, you may worry that your family is not as healthy as it should be. There are several characteristics that healthy families share, and judging your family against these standards shows you where there is an opportunity for growth.
Have Each Other’s Back
No one knows you better than your family members. This difference between healthy and unhealthy families is what you do with that information. In unhealthy families, the information is used to put each other down and pick on each other frequently. In contrast, in healthy families, the information is used to help and strengthen each other because everyone has weaknesses.
Make Spending Time Together a Priority
It is human nature to spend time on the things that you enjoy. Therefore, make spending time with your family a top priority. If this is not the case, plan to eat at least one family meal together each week. If you have picky eaters or hate to cook, consider heading to a nearby family restaurant together.
Provide the Necessities
Everyone needs clean air, healthy food and a warm place to sleep. If life has been hard lately, consider reaching out to others who have resources that can help. The Community Action Coalition at Madison Area Technical College is a great place to start if you need help locating resources.
See Problems as Opportunities
Instead of putting each other down or ignoring issues, healthy families see problems as opportunities to serve each other. Things go wrong even in the best of families, but take a deep breath and make it a learning opportunity. Instead of belittling someone, make it easy for them to grow through the experience without enabling them.
Builds Memories Together
Healthy families look for opportunities to serve others together, and they earnestly believe that the world is a better place when everyone pulls together. If you need help finding the perfect opportunity for your family, reach out to the United Way as they often have terrific choices.
Attend to Healthcare Needs
Everyone has health challenges, but a healthy family addresses those needs. They also support each other, making overcoming them easier for everyone involved.
Despite their best efforts, some families need extra help. If that describes you, then reach out to our mental health office. We are glad to work with you because building healthy families is hard.
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