Having a happier family is something we all want. That’s why we choose to spend our lives with a partner and have children, after all!
The family unit is under attack like never before today. There are so many external and internal forces that can drive a wedge between family members – social media, divorce, blended families, life choices and preferences, rising inflation, needing to work more… The list goes on.
Is there a secret to family happiness? Is there just one thing you can do that would likely yield consistently good results in your family?
Having a happy and successful family takes intent and effort, and there is no one thing that can make that happen.
Many would say that love is the answer. Love is certainly essential to healthy, happy family, but love can take many different forms and it’s only known when it’s shown. For example, a person could say they love their kids, but if they’re often screaming and yelling at them, or if they’re always working and never available, how loved do you think those kids would feel?
Most parents love their kids and their partner, and want a happy family who feel loved by them. What positive actions can you take towards making that happen?
At Given Guidance Family Counseling in La Crescenta, California, helping families improve their lives together is what gets us out of bed every morning! We’ve helped many families who were struggling or uncertain about how to improve their situation to build better relationships and happier family.
There are many actions that can make a difference to your family, but we’d like to focus on just one of those positive actions today: making time for your family.
Before your eyes glaze over, let me explain…
We all know that ‘making time for family’ is something we ‘should’ be doing, but what that looks like in practice can be wildly different for different families.
Here a few ideas on how to make time for a happier family life:
- Booking a tea or coffee date with one of your children or spouse.
- Ask your spouse or a child to join you on a walk or drive.
- Cook dinner together.
- Ask your child to teach you about something they love doing.
- Leave a little love note for your partner to find.
- Teach your older kids how you grocery shop.
- Play a game together.
- Bring your child a cup of tea or coffee while they’re still in bed.
Any and all of these ideas involve spending your time to think about and make a positive action for your family.
The purpose of making time for your family is so that each person in your family and your family as a whole feel and know that they are important to and loved by you. Time is a precious commodity – everyone feels that nowadays – so when you choose to spend it on an individual in your family, that translates to love in action.
What could you do today to make someone in your family feel important to you?
If you need help finding and implementing positive actions personalized to you and your family, reach out for support today from Given Guidance Family Counseling. Our team of caring, experienced therapists would love to support you!