Spring 2006
Vol. 8, No. 2
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Spring 2006 |
Building strong, healthy families requires commitment
Maudie Kelly, MS
Human Development Specialist
KellyME@missouri.edu
How do you define “family”?
The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences uses this definition:
“A family is defined as two or more persons who share resources, share
responsibility for decisions, share values and goals, and have a commitment to
one another over time.”
Families come in many forms,
shapes and sizes, but all can be made stronger with a little effort.
Strong families and support
systems are an integral part of developing character and competence in our
children. We know that families play a major role in children’s school success
and ultimately help to determine if they become adults who can successfully
contribute to society. Families are the first and primary influence on
development.
There are many ways to keep
families strong in the midst of stress and troubles we all face daily. Research
has found that strong families share a number of common traits, such as
adaptability, time together, encouragement, commitment, communication, coping
with change, spirituality, community and family ties, and clear roles.
All families can be strong.
A family’s strength is not dependent on who makes up the family, but on how well
members work together to accomplish tasks, teach children what is expected of
them, and develop shared values and goals.
Take a minute to think about
your family. What strengths can you think of right away? Are there others you
know you would like to develop?
Strong families don’t just
happen—all family members must work together to strengthen their own family. The
examples we set for our children will help them grow into responsible adults.
This will, in turn, help them understand their role in building their own strong
families.
The MU Extension Guidesheet
# GH6640, Promoting Family Strengths (available online at
http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/hesguide/humanrel/GH6640.pdf),
suggests several ways to strengthen families:
Respond to children with patience, and respect their feelings and abilities.
Encourage family members by asking them to share their accomplishments.
Visit and find ways to help at your child’s school.
Eat a meal together as a family at least once a day and involve family members in mealtime tasks.
Hold family meetings that give all family members an opportunity to talk openly.
Develop a family mission statement that includes your family’s purpose, goals and objectives.
Develop and maintain family traditions and rituals.
Finding time to complete
some of these strategies may be a challenge, but it is important to remember
that strengthening family relationships requires the commitment and cooperation
of all family members.
As a result, families will
more than likely build closer and stronger family relationships that will help
them meet the challenges of daily life. Hopefully, they also will have fun while
creating great memories!
Source: Adapted from Building Strong Families curriculum, developed by University of Missouri Extension.
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Editor: Roxanne T. Miller MillerRT@missouri.edu |
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