From reducing stress to spending high-quality time with our families, we all want to have healthy and happy family lives. Here are five tips to help you get started on the right track to a healthy and happy family life:
Remember, every family is different, so you may need to customize the following steps to fit your life and needs, but doing so will pay off for you and everyone in your family.
1. Simplify
Parents often over-complicate things. In many cases, this isn’t intentional, but it still happens. Make things easy for yourself by preparing a single meal for everyone and ensuring that you don’t obligate yourself to too many activities and responsibilities. One activity per child is plenty.
2. Systemize
Create a system. Give everyone a job, and make sure your system works. By doing this, you will reduce your burden and stress but will also teach your child the importance of having responsibilities. When you systemize your life, you can enjoy less stress - everyone will be pitching in without having to be asked over and over again.
3. Organize
Organization can make life easier on everyone. You will know where everything is and can stop the “hunt” that tends to happen at the worst possible moments. Make sure that you organize everything – from toys and clothes, to shoes, socks, your kitchen tools and more. While it’s a lot of work in the beginning, it will be well worth it in the long run. There's a reason why a book about organizing your home, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up", is a NYT Bestseller.
4. Relate
You need to find a way to relate to your children and every member of your family. For example, what do they like, who are their friends at school?, etc. Spend some time to really get to know your kids. By doing so, they will feel more comfortable opening up to you, and you will have a closer relationship with your child. This is a win-win situation. An effective way to ensure family members can relate better is to set aside one-to-one time for each family member. Schedule a special outing once per month for both mom and dad to spend with each child individually. This one-to-one time will lead to close conversations and experiences that will bring you closer together.
5. Relax
Not everything has to be a panicked, stressful situation. Slow down and take time to relax. If you feel overwhelmed, then review the steps above once more. They are designed to help you live your best life. Also, make sure it is in your schedule to relax and unwind. Doing so will make everyone in your family happier and healthier.
Try these tips to see how they work for you. Chances are, they will be life changing. However, sometimes, not matter how hard you try to improve life at home, your child may continue to disrupt family harmony. It may simply be out of his or her control. We can help. Brain Balance has worked with over 40,000 children and their families through a comprehensive personal plan that addresses your child’s challenges. Contact us to learn more!