{"id":38388,"date":"2019-11-25T12:33:33","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T17:33:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/?p=38388"},"modified":"2020-02-20T19:36:47","modified_gmt":"2020-02-21T00:36:47","slug":"6-steps-to-more-family-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/6-steps-to-more-family-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Steps to More Family Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Families today can struggle to stay connected in a fast-paced world that often sends us all spinning away from each other in different directions.\u00a0 Not eating dinner together may not seem like a big deal on any given night, but when moments of disconnection become increasingly habitual over time, families can and often do find themselves feeling completely disconnected in painful ways.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the flip side, fostering family connection in small ways can have a snowball effect in creating strong and enduring family relationships.\u00a0 Here are six simple steps to help your family stay connected in a disconnected world:<\/span><\/p>

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  1. Be Calm and Intentional<\/b>.\u00a0 A calm environment is an important foundation for fostering positive family connections. That\u2019s easier said than done in times of chaos and stress.\u00a0 But there are many ways to be calm and intentional in approaching family connections. One idea is to start each morning with a <\/span>meditation<\/span><\/a> or prayer of gratitude for your family members.<\/span>\u00a0 Take time to think of them individually, pondering ideas of how you would like to connect with each of them.\u00a0 Then, carry those intentions into your interactions with them that day.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Make Eye Contact<\/b>.\u00a0 Even if it is for only a few moments at a time, regularly making <\/span>eye contact<\/span><\/a> with family members can create positive family connections.<\/span>\u00a0 This can be as simple as kneeling down to look your child in the eyes when telling them you love them or giving your teenager your full visual attention when they are asking you for something.\u00a0 Making eye contact is a simple yet powerful way to connect with your family.<\/span><\/li>\n
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  3. Offer Friendly Touch<\/b>.\u00a0 Touch is the most concrete form of any connection, so it makes sense that friendly touch would help families connect with each other.\u00a0 Beyond common sense, social science has shown that there are positive physical, emotional, and even chemical reactions to friendly touch<\/a>.\u00a0 From holding a baby for the first time, to holding hands with your spouse, tickling young children, or wrestling with older ones, friendly touch is vital to family connections.<\/li>\n
  4. Listen, Don\u2019t Lecture<\/b>.\u00a0 In my own parenting, I have found one of the most powerful ways I can emotionally connect with my children is by listening to them, while by contrast lecturing them can easily destroy our connection.\u00a0 This does not mean we cannot ever teach or kindly guide our children to better behavior. It does mean, however, that if we want to have strong family connections, we need to listen more and let our children\u2019s input help guide our <\/span>teaching<\/span><\/a> of them.<\/span> \u00a0 When I do this, I always find that I connect with my children on a much deeper level than if I simply tell them what to do.<\/span><\/li>\n
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  5. Set Family Times<\/b>.\u00a0 Dinner time is prime example of a set family time.\u00a0 After all, we all need to eat, and so many benefits come from <\/span>sharing meals<\/span><\/a> together as a family\u2014including academic, health, emotional, and social benefits.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Bedtime routines<\/span><\/a> with young children also have a powerful effect on parent-child connections.<\/span>\u00a0 Setting aside one night a week to have a family activity is another way to stay connected as a family.\u00a0 This can be a simple as a weekly game or movie night. And, of course, all families love annual holiday traditions.\u00a0 Having set family times daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly\u2014to do whatever you like to do as a family\u2014creates times of connection the whole family can look forward to.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Say \u201cLet\u2019s\u201d More Often<\/b>.\u00a0 Let\u2019s face it: most families spend most of their time away from each other\u2014most parents work separately, either away from or at home; and most children spend their days in school or daycare.\u00a0 We no longer work, learn, eat, and play <\/span>together<\/span><\/a> as many families used to.<\/span>\u00a0 However, we can creatively and intentionally use our family time to work, play, eat, read, exercise\u2014or whatever else we do\u2014together.\u00a0 Rather than telling your children to \u201cdo the dishes\u201d or \u201cwalk the dog,\u201d try saying \u201cLet\u2019s do the dishes,\u201d or \u201cLet\u2019s walk the dog.\u201d Saying \u201clet\u2019s\u201d more often can create stronger family <\/span>connections<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>
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    Creating a culture of family connection does not come naturally.\u00a0 Learning to connect with those we love takes skill and practice. The good news is that families who want more connection can choose to create it by making a few simple changes.\u00a0 By regularly investing in small and simple connections with our families, we can create deeper bonds of trust that will help us through any of the fiercer storms of disconnection that we, as a family, might face.<\/span>
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      ×<\/span><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Families today can struggle to stay connected. Here are six simple steps to help your family stay connected in a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":37974,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","fbia_status":""},"categories":[626],"tags":[34,7,2496,13],"yoast_head":"\n6 Steps to More Family Connection - FamilyToday<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"BYU Family Life student Pamela Love details six simple steps to help your family stay connected in a disconnected world.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/6-steps-to-more-family-connection\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 Steps to More Family Connection\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"BYU Family Life student Pamela Love details six simple steps to help your family stay connected in a disconnected world.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/6-steps-to-more-family-connection\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"FamilyToday\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-25T17:33:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-02-21T00:36:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2019\/10\/shutterstock_15724291-550x367.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"550\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"367\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kinmundo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BN Media, LLC\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/famtoday\"],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2020\/03\/bnmedia-logo-lg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2020\/03\/bnmedia-logo-lg.png\",\"width\":1315,\"height\":311,\"caption\":\"BN Media, LLC\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/\",\"name\":\"FamilyToday\",\"description\":\"Here today, better tomorrow.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/6-steps-to-more-family-connection\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2019\/10\/shutterstock_15724291.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2019\/10\/shutterstock_15724291.jpg\",\"width\":4992,\"height\":3328,\"caption\":\"Family on a nature walk\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/6-steps-to-more-family-connection\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/6-steps-to-more-family-connection\/\",\"name\":\"6 Steps to More Family Connection - 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