There is no doubt that the well-being of a family can be attributed to many various qualities, such as the strength of their bonds or the nature of their relationships. Researchers globally have found that these qualities exist across all racial, social, and economic groups, spanning multiple countries. There are multiple pieces of literature worldwide that involve the creation and maintenance of a healthy family life.
Healthy and strong families are not simply families that function perfectly together. Strong families are also flawed and undergo challenges. What sets them apart is that the development of strong families comes from the yearning to make the family strong. Strong families become strong because they can face adversities yet remain equipped to deal with them appropriately.
However, people raised in unhealthy environments also yearn to one day develop a healthy environment for their own families, despite not knowing what it looks like. Fortunately, the emotional and relational skills needed to establish a strong and healthy family can still be learned in adulthood. With practice, a healthy family dynamic can still be established and maintained, even by those in dysfunctional dynamics that aim to improve themselves.
Here are a few characteristics and qualities that can help determine whether the family is healthy, and if they aren’t, these can be applied to improve the family relationship.
A HEALTHY FAMILY IS PERCEPTIVE TO EACH OTHER’S NEEDS
Healthy families are those that can put the family at the forefront. When a family can establish time together despite their varying circumstances, you know that the bonds they have are strong. The family is the top priority, so they must often look out for one another. A healthy family is capable of making sure that the needs of all the members are well-supplied. For the needs that are lacking, family members can also work together to ensure they can be supplied. A healthy family that looks out for one another can do so due to developing a strong spiritual commitment. They can share spiritual beliefs and values with each other and have a strong sense of peace. This can be brought about by developing positive attitudes towards each other.
A HEALTHY FAMILY IS QUICK TO STRENGTHEN FAMILY BONDS
All families struggle with internal conflict. It is no surprise that family members often bicker, fight, and misunderstand. A healthy family can rise above all of it and resolve it in a manner that keeps everybody’s peace of mind intact. When a family engages in positive communication with each other, there is no room for argumentative and rash outbursts. A healthy family has boundaries that the members set, and through positive communication, conflict can be handled in a way that does not overstep these bonds. Once the family can establish this, their bonds will only strengthen. A healthy family can also take advantage of free time and spend it together, which enhances these bonds.
A HEALTHY FAMILY IS A SAFE SPACE FOR EMOTIONS
A healthy family ensures that their home is a space where all the members can feel their emotions. A healthy family is vulnerable to one another and can share their feelings and commitment toward each other without feeling any shame. A healthy family is not shy to show how much they appreciate each other, despite all their flaws and shortcomings. A healthy family also celebrates everyone’s achievements properly. When a family cannot show their affection for each other, their positive relationship can be questioned. If a family does not have an established positive connection, then they cannot be a healthy family.
A HEALTHY FAMILY IS A CONSTRUCTIVE PLATFORM
As stated earlier, family members will have shortcomings. Shortcomings are natural to all people, but a healthy family is capable of using these shortcomings to propel the member forward. A healthy family is a zone for constructive criticism. They can still criticize each other, but it is done in a way that prioritizes improvement and is not condescending. Healthy families are loyal to each other, which is why they can help each other and not be afraid that they will instantly have a falling out when they criticize another member. A committed and loyal family that has established itself as a zone of constructive criticism is resilient to external circumstances. Instead of being separated by it, crisis brings them together instead.
Healthy families have always been at the forefront of fictional and non-fictional literature. An excellent example of a healthy family dynamic and how it struggles and perseveres in the face of tragedy and loss can be read through Virginia Degner’s Without Consent. To grab a copy of the book and read it firsthand, visit Amazon now.
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References used:
[1] https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/traits_of_a_healthy_family
[2] https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/four-traits-of-a-healthy-family/
[3] https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/family/7-characteristics-of-healthy-families/
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