characteristics of a strong family essay

Six traits of strong families

When it comes to healthy family dynamics, it’s helpful to learn from positive models.

• Post author By CPHHS Marcomm
• Post date November 20, 2018

When it comes to healthy family dynamics, it’s helpful to learn from positive models. Rather than a deficit approach (highlighting what is “wrong” with a family), a more productive and enduring approach is to emphasize family strengths.

According to Dennis Lynn , PhD, who teaches human development and family sciences at Oregon State University – Cascades, the Family Strengths Research Project is one research effort that offers valuable insights into the traits of healthy families.

“I often tell my students that most people want a strong family. That’s a nice goal, but a little vague,” Dennis says. “This research reminds us of six specific areas we can focus on immediately, becoming more aware and actively engaged in strengthening our families.”

Dennis participated in this research as part of his doctoral studies at the University of Nebraska. The Family Strengths Inventory has been used with thousands of families in more than 25 countries around the world and reveals six common themes:

• Strong families express appreciation and affection . They speak in positive and affirming ways and express the love they have for each other.
• Strong families have a strong commitment to each other . They are deeply committed to promoting each other’s happiness and welfare and show their commitment by investing time and energy in family activities.
• Strong families spend enjoyable time together . They enjoy being together and know that if they don’t prioritize and schedule time together, it won’t happen. Sometimes, love is spelled t-i-m-e.
• Strong families manage stress and crisis effectively . They are not immune or exempt from difficult days and challenging situations, but they develop strategies so they can pull together, rather than fall apart.
• Strong families have a sense of spiritual well-being . Whatever the expression of their spiritual lifestyle, there are consistent themes of guiding values and ethics, as well as a commitment to important causes.
• Strong families have effective and positive communication patterns . They talk to each other and listen to each other and may have specific ground rules on how they communicate in respectful, loving ways.

“Though there are certainly more complex and sophisticated models of successful, healthy, resilient family interactions, I find myself returning to this basic, uncomplicated approach,” Dennis says.

These six traits are helpful for recognizing strengths that might already be in place, he adds, and provide a starting point for developing new areas of strength.

“We sometimes just need a little nudge, a simple reminder of foundational strengths and strategies to keep our families thriving. Any family member can begin today, perhaps by just selecting one quality to target and improve.”

Additional resources

• American family strengths inventory assessment
• Family activity suggestions built around the Family Strengths approach

Interested in studying the qualities of strong families? Learn more about human development and family sciences at Oregon State. 

• Tags Dennis Lynn , HDFS , OSU-Cascades , T50

7 Characteristics of a Strong Family

In 1858 Abraham Lincoln began his most memorable speech with these words:

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Lincoln, of course, was addressing a weakness he saw in America at the time. I believe the same weakness, lack of unity, threatens to destroy many families today.

If you want a strong family, one that can withstand all that threatens to tear it apart, work on developing unity. Psalm 133:1 states:

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

God designed the family – dad, mom and kids – to live, carry on life, together . To function in harmony as a cohesive unit all moving in the same direction. That is a pleasant, enjoyable, phenomenon to be a part of and to observe.

Now, I am not what anyone would call a “sports person.” I can name some team sports. I might even be able to name some sports teams, but I don’t follow any. I have, though, seen a half dozen or so sports movies . . . and I’ve noticed a few characteristics about the teams depicted.

The same qualities that gave those teams enduring strength will contribute to family unity.

Confident Leadership

An effective team works together best with a clearly identified leader. Dads, God has assigned this position to you! He has written your job description (you can find it in Deuteronomy 6:6-8, Proverbs 22:6 and Colossians 3:21), and you function under His authority. You may not feel confident in this role . . . take your insecurities to God and trust Him to give you the wisdom, courage and strength to gently guide your family.

Clearly Defined Roles

Each team member can make his greatest contribution when he knows exactly what is expected of him. The same is true in the family. Dad’s the leader. He makes the final decisions and is accountable to God for how he guides the whole crew. But he can’t do his job alone. He needs mom’s input, help and support. Together, they assist the kids in fulfilling their role . . . learning and practicing obedience and respect as they work at becoming honorable citizens!

Common Goal

Ultimately, the goal of a biblical family is to reflect honor to God, and we do this by fulfilling the roles He gave each of us. On a practical day to day basis, the common goal should be to help each other be the best they can be at their current pursuits. Might be mastering potty training, remembering to obey right away, learning to ride a bicycle, eliminating sassy talk, perfecting the essay model, passing a big test, getting everyone out the door on time or earning a promotion at work.

Belief In Each Other

You have to be each others’ biggest fans. God has designed each member with particular abilities. Some of these are easily recognizable; others are yet to be discovered! Look for potential and encourage it. Cheer each other on. Show affection. Express appreciation. Support interests and facilitate exploring new skills. Recognize and praise positive character. Trust that God is at work in each one to accomplish His purposes by putting you together in the same family.

Willingness to Magnify Strengths

Everyone, big and small, has them. Areas where they make the biggest contribution or shine a little brighter. Make the most of those areas. When anyone in our family looses something, we call in our Seek-and-Find King. That boy can find things like no one else! And we make a big deal out of it. Let each person be famous for something good. Make sure they know you rely on them in that area. That your family could not function without their special talent.

Ability to Minimize Weaknesses

Yes, everyone has these too. And we all need help shoring up the weak spots. But we don’t need to call attention to them all the time. Especially in front of others. Let love cover the imperfections as often as possible (Prov. 10:12, 1 Peter 4:8).

Commitment to the Team

Teamwork can be IS hard. It will often seem like everyone’s working against each other. Sometimes we are. Becoming a strong family doesn’t happen automatically. It takes intentional, purposeful commitment. A strong, unified family will require more time, effort, energy and “re-dos” than you might imagine. Don’t give up. Stick with it and the rewards will outlast you.

Can I just let you know that my family has not mastered this team unity concept? 15 years of marriage and 12 years of parenting have taught us a few things, but we have m-i-l-e-s to go. There are days, weeks and months even, when it we just can’t get this team of ruffians (ourselves included) on the same page.

Each one of us is a sinner in need of God’s mercy, forgiveness and grace daily. Hourly. Minute by minute! It is only through the power of Christ that we can even pursue becoming a strong, unified family.

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Matthew 19:26

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6 Essential Characteristics of a Strong Family

• Post author: Anna Raworth
• Post published: November 25, 2021
• Post category: Uncategorised

How we define ‘family’ is entirely based on our values and personal experiences in life. There is no set way to describe a family, and none are more valid than any other, whether it’s made up of step-parents, single parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, or anyone of your choosing. The way you define family is completely unique to you and your values. Family may look different to everyone, but the 6 traits of strong families remain the same. 

Over the years, there have been many studies done on family dynamics and the level of happiness within them, including a research project on family strength completed by Nick Stinnett and John DeFrain through the University of Nebraska. Through these studies, researchers have identified the 6 characteristics that remained constant within strong families. 

1. Appreciation

The way a family expresses their appreciation for one another is a major determining factor for how each person pictures themselves within it. If someone feels they are unappreciated, they may struggle to find their place in the family unit. When expressing love and gratitude is put into practice, it creates a deeper bond, allowing space for each member to feel valued and seen. 

How to develop it:

 There are a variety of ways to begin intentionally including this into your family dynamic, but one of the best ways is to lead by example and express how much you value the people around you. Model good manners in front of your child by saying “please” and “thank you” and by pointing out specific things you appreciate about them individually as well as the people around you. Another great way to begin introducing this is by asking each member of your family to tell you something good that happened that day and share in their excitement. You can also encourage this by noticing specific things about the members of your family and simply expressing how proud you are of them. Small gratitudes can create big change.

2. Strong Communication

The way a family speaks to one another can be an easy way to assess the dynamics of the family. When a family holds little value for how they communicate, relationships can deteriorate as members may begin to feel unheard by others, ultimately creating a feeling of being uncared for, unimportant, and even unworthy of respect. By creating a space within your family to hold open and honest conversations based on listening, understanding, and respectfully responding, you effectively allow each person to feel safe within the family, and remove the anxiety surrounding the more difficult conversations that need to happen throughout the family’s development.

Communication is one of the more difficult things to adjust to in a family dynamic. How we communicate is often something developed through mirroring the communication styles around us. One of the best ways to introduce healthier forms of communication is to model it in all your conversations. For example, when you’re speaking to your child, make sure you’re actively listening to what they’re saying. Ask them questions to clarify what they’re telling you, and make sure you express to them your understanding of what they’re saying (and confirm that it’s correct!). Validating your child’s feelings and experiences is an important component of this. Reassure them that it is ok for them to share anything with you and that what they’re telling you is essential and perfectly acceptable. Genuinely listen to your child, truly understand what they’re telling you, and respond respectfully, for a productive conversation to take place. 

3. Quality Time

What comes to mind when you think about your childhood? It’s unlikely that your first thought was about gifts you received or the cars your parents drove. What’s more likely, is that you remembered a time where you were doing something fun with your family, whether it was a family trip or a particular family tradition, or maybe even the regularly occurring family dinners. The time a family spends together, and the quality of that time, is incredibly influential on the family dynamic. When you prioritize spending time together as a family in meaningful and enjoyable ways, positive memories are formed, and relationships are reinforced.

Schedule a time each week for your family to spend together, uninterrupted. This may be difficult for families with busier schedules, however, these periods of time together don’t always have to be overly long. Sit down with your child, and ask them one thing they want to do with you each week. Then, look at your calendar and find a time to fit it in. You’d be surprised at your child’s answers to this question. The best thing about this strategy is that by allowing them to navigate the activity, you are providing them with the quality of time they need with you at that time. You simply have to ask.

Spiritual Wellbeing

Spirituality is a spectrum and is individual to each family. Simply put, spirituality is the values that guide the family, the consistent themes in their lives, and the morals they share. This can come in the form of a higher power and the belief system the family follows, or it can simply be the family outlooks and where their priorities are placed, such as positive outlooks and family traditions. It is how the family chooses to live, and the foundation the family is built upon.

This is often a trait that’s already been developed through generations before you, however, if you’re unsure where you’re family falls in this spectrum, take some time to sit down as a family and identify the values that mean the most to you. How do you want to live your life, and how do you want to teach your children to view this world? The answers to these questions will be how you nurture your family’s spiritual wellbeing.

Coping Abilities

How a family manages stress and responds to crisis plays a vital role in the strength of the family. When a family member is struggling and lacks a support system to care for them, their outlook on the family can be influenced by feelings of abandonment. However, a family that supports each other through difficult times, and overcomes obstacles as a team, will develop a much more stable emotional connection as they are building resilience together. 

We learn coping skills from the environment around us. As you grow in your ability to manage stress, you will influence that within your child as well. For example, if your child is struggling with anxiety , it’s an emotion they are unable to manage on their own and will rely on you to help them cope with the feelings they are experiencing. By helping them develop coping mechanisms that work for them, while also showing them they can rely on you, you’re building trust and nurturing a stronger connection.

Commitment To One Another

In a strong family dynamic, members share a powerful commitment to one another through shared experiences that create a sense of responsibility for each other. A key element in developing a strong familial commitment is a family’s ability to problem solve by coming together and discussing struggles both inside and outside the family dynamic in healthy ways free from judgement. By committing to understanding one another and accepting each other’s differences, you are effectively reinforcing your relationships and forming a stronger dynamic. 

This is something you can encourage at any stage. One of the best ways to begin fostering this is by actively problem solving with your child. Encourage them to come to you when they are struggling with something, and brainstorm ways they can manage that situation. Don’t fix it for them unless it’s absolutely necessary. Help them come up with a plan, and support them in implementing it. After you’ve done this, thank them for coming to you and letting you help them solve the problem. This will not only help them develop their own problem solving but also reinforce that they can rely on you to support them when things get tough and that you’re happy to do it.

A strong family is not something that simply happens. It is a foundation that is developed over time through intentional choices and supported through a loving, respectful and open environment. 

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MSU Extension

What makes a family strong.

Gail Innis, Michigan State University Extension - December 02, 2016

Explore qualities your family already has and those you can work on.

What do you think of when you hear the word “family?” You may consider your parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Some of you might mention cousins, yet others would say a close friend or neighbor. The definition of family is individual, and each is important.

No matter who you include, we all share one thing. Family includes people we love and those who love us; those we are connected to through a shared history and experience. When we include people in our definition who are not related to us, they are sometimes referred to as an intentional family. Michigan State University Extension suggests taking a moment to think about who you include in your family, as each of these people play an important role in your life and the lives of your children.

All families have challenges, strengths and areas where they can grow. Family is not about who is in your family or who you consider family as much as it is about how your family functions. Strong families appear in different ways, shapes and forms. Families can include single parents, two parent families, grandparents raising grandchildren, foster parents and others.

Researchers from the University of Nebraska conducted a study on the characteristics of strong families and they recognize six major qualities that strong families share. These common characteristics all contribute to family happiness and strength.

• Commitment: They make their relationships a high priority. This is particularly important in co-parenting families. Reassure your children it is OK to love all of their parents and siblings; don’t make them feel guilty.
• Appreciation: They let other family know, daily, they were appreciated. Teach and use appreciative language and gestures. Children learn from adult examples.
• Communication: They talk to each other about big issues as well as small issues. Keep your communication positive, listen to all opinions and don’t forget to lighten the mood with laughter when tensions are running high.
• Time together: They are deliberate about planning activities. Mealtime is a great place to start. Include family members in menu planning, shopping and food preparation.
• Spiritual wellness: They believe in a greater power and have shared beliefs. Model acceptance and tolerance. Share your views about your beliefs and why they are important to you.
• Crisis and stress: They are able to cope with difficulties and crises—they are resilient. Be mindful of how others in the family feel when things are stressful. Encourage family members to work together and share feelings when the going gets tough.

All of the strengths identified are connected and are not mutually exclusive. It is important to look at your current strengths and identify a plan to strengthen areas of weakness. You may want to consider taking a family strengths inventory that can assist you in making a road map for change in areas that appear weak. In his book “The Intentional Family,” family therapist William Doherty includes many family rituals you may want to include as you work to strengthen your family foundation.

For more information on caregiving or family issues that affect you and your family, visit the eXtension and MSU Extension websites.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension . For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu . To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters . To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts , or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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How to Have Healthy Family Relationships With Less Stress

Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Carly Snyder, MD is a reproductive and perinatal psychiatrist who combines traditional psychiatry with integrative medicine-based treatments.

Families can be a life-giving force when they are healthy and relatively stress-free. When healthy, they can be one constant you can count on—so much so that a healthy family relationship can positively impact your health and well-being.  

Strong family relationships also provide comfort, guidance, and strength that you can draw on in times of stress. Likewise, they provide a sense of belonging and unconditional love you are not likely to find anywhere else.

Benefits of Health Family Relationships

Strong family relationships can:

• Help individuals cope with stress
• Improve self-esteem
• Increase well-being
• Encourage people to engage in healthy behaviors
• Provide social support
• Create a foundation for healthy, trusting relationships with others
• Allows people to feel secure and loved
• Encourage the development of values and personal responsibility

But when these relationships are unhealthy or stress-filled, they can feel exhausting and emotionally draining. A highly-conflicted or toxic family relationship can cause a lot of damage. Not only do these unhealthy relationships deprive you of support, but they also can create additional stress, conflict, and even health issues.

For instance, research indicates that 10% to 30% of children grow up in families where their health and well-being are endangered or weakened by unhealthy family relationships.

What Makes a Family Healthy

Generally, people depend on their families in times of crisis for emotional and practical support. Sometimes they even depend on them for support when they're experiencing a financial crisis .

The family is a constant in a person's life. Families also carry your history and share your future. Who better than siblings, parents, and other close relatives to reminisce with about your childhood?

This connection to fond memories, support in times of need, and unconditional love is the unique way that families can bring happiness, stress relief, and a sense of well-being.

According to researchers, strong families all have six qualities in common.   These qualities include appreciation/affection, commitment, positive communication, time together, strong coping skills, and spiritual well-being. Here's a closer look at each.

Appreciation and Affection

Healthy families help one another when they need it. They also keep their promises, support one another, and show affection when they are together. A warm embrace, a squeeze of the hand, or a pat on the back all are gestures that speak love and support to one another.

Healthy families are loyal, supportive, and committed. They find it easy to trust one another with the details of their lives. They also share responsibilities and make decisions together and are there for you when you need them. No one has your back like your family.

Positive Communication

Healthy families often share regular meals together and enjoy talking about their lives and their experiences. What's more, criticisms, putdowns, name-calling, and other types of emotional abuse are rare.

Instead, families encourage and build one another up.

Time Together

Typically, healthy families have fun when they are together, smiling and laughing often. Whether their time is planned or spontaneous, strong families enjoy being around one another. They also share one another's interests and passions.

Strong Coping Skills

Resilience is a hallmark of healthy families. While dealing with a challenge or a crisis is never easy, healthy families encourage one another to remain strong and hopeful. They often look for the good in a bad situation and accept the things they cannot change. Going through a crisis together makes their bonds even stronger.

Spiritual Well-Being

Healthy families usually have positive outlooks on life. They also are filled with thankfulness and gratitude. Typically, these families share common values and may even share the same spiritual or religious beliefs.

Even if they do not agree on everything, healthy families are kind and respectful of other opinions.

Coping With Common Family Issues

Unfortunately, family relationships are so complex, they're not always easy to navigate. In fact, dealing with difficult family members is downright hard.

And even though it may be better for your stress level and your health to eliminate strained relationships from your life, it's not always that simple when difficult people are related to you. To keep conflict at bay and reduce stress, check out these tips on dealing with common family issues.

Focus on Healthy Communication

Conflict is virtually inevitable in any relationship, but there are healthy ways of dealing with it. For instance, if you know that you and your family member disagree over religion or politics, try to stick to more neutral topics. Likewise, if your family member has some negative traits that really rub you the wrong way, focus on the positives instead.

Listening and being empathetic whenever you can is especially important as well. But don't be a doormat either. It's fine to be assertive and let family members know when they have crossed a line.

And, if the conversation is spiraling out of control, know when to take a timeout. With a little hard work, you may be able to have a respectful conversation with your family members, even when you don't see eye to eye.

Be Authentic

When people get together with their families of origin, it is not uncommon to revert to old behavior patterns. But if you’ve grown beyond these old roles and they no longer reflect who you are, don't be afraid to be who you are now. It may take some hard work to stay true to yourself, but in the end, you will be glad you did.

When family members mention how much you have changed or tell you they miss the old you, don't feel obligated to be that person again, especially if you changed for a reason.

For instance, if you were once a heavy drinker and the life of the party, it might be hard for family members to adjust to seeing you without a drink in your hand. But they will get used to it.

You don't have to sacrifice who you are now to make other people feel comfortable. This is called people-pleasing and it's an unhealthy habit to fall into.

Address Family Prejudices

Typically, prejudices arise from a misguided or learned belief that certain groups of people need to be treated differently or with less respect and consideration. Some common prejudices involve race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation.

When you witness prejudice in family members, it's important to tactfully address it right away. Sometimes family members don't realize that what they are doing or saying is marginalizing and insulting.

Talking about tolerance and acceptance is essential. Just be sure to do it lovingly. If you get emotional, judgmental, or angry, your family members will likely focus on those things instead of hearing what you're saying.

If they are unwilling to be respectful, you may need to establish some boundaries with them. Being family doesn't give them the right to disrespect you, a significant other, or anyone else.

Deal With Family Drama

Sometimes families are filled with gossiping, backstabbing, and other types of relational drama. When this happens, it is best to shut it down or stay out of it altogether. Nothing good comes from throwing shade, talking behind people's backs, and pitting people against one another.

Even if you don't participate in the drama, just listening to the mean words communicates that you might condone it. Instead, try redirecting the conversation or walking away. You also can be more direct and indicate that you are not comfortable with the conversation.

The key is to let your family member know that you don't want to be part of the drama.

Address Adult Sibling Rivalry and Jealousy

Sibling relationships are complex, but even more so if sibling rivalry or jealousy exists. In fact, adult sibling rivalry can cause strained relationships, where siblings argue and struggle to get along.

If you feel your relationship with your family is strained because your parents favor another sibling, you may be surprised to find that you’re not alone.

Try not to take perceived favoritism personally or allow it to impact your relationship with the family. While it may appear your parent is closer to your sibling, this does not mean that it is true or that your parent loves that sibling more than you. And whatever you do, do not perpetuate these feelings by competing with your sibling.

You can cope with common family issues by improving communication, being authentic, addressing prejudices, and managing family drama or jealousy.

How to Get Help

Dysfunctional families can take a toll on individual health, but there are steps you can take to address serious problems in the family unit. Family therapy is a type of treatment that focuses on mending relationships, improving communication, and helping each family member understand their place and impact on the rest of the family.

There are also specific types of family therapy, such as:

• Family systems therapy
• Functional family therapy
• Narrative family therapy
• Psychoeducation
• Strategic family therapy
• Supportive family therapy

In many cases, therapists may draw on various techniques and traditions to address a family's specific needs. If you think your family would benefit from therapy, talk to your doctor for a referral. 

While therapy is often most effective when all members participate, this is not always possible. If other family members are unwilling or able to attend therapy, you will also benefit from talking to a therapist on your own.

A Word From Verywell

While you cannot control the types of relationships you have with your family members, you can create greater harmony in your relationships. Work toward strengthening and improving your family relationships. Be open, honest, and empathetic, but don't be afraid to set boundaries with toxic or abusive family members. You are not required to endure abuse just because you're related.

Thomas PA, Liu H, Umberson D. Family relationships and well-being . Innov Aging . 2017;1(3):igx025. doi:10.1093/geroni/igx025

Poutiainen H, Hakulinen-Virtanen T, Laatikainen T. Associations between family characteristics and public health nurses' concerns at children's health examinations . Scand J Caring Sci . 2014;28(2):225-34. doi:10.1111/scs.12035

Defrain J. Asay S. Strong families around the world . Marriage & Family Review . 41(1-2):1-10. doi:10.1300/J002v41n01_01

Carr A.  Family therapy and systemic interventions for child-focused problems: the current evidence base: Child-focused problems .  Journal of Family Therapy . 2019;41(2):153-213. doi:10.1111/1467-6427.12226

Varghese M, Kirpekar V, Loganathan S.  Family interventions: basic principles and techniques .  Indian J Psychiatry . 2020;62(Suppl 2):S192-S200. doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_770_19

By Elizabeth Scott, PhD Elizabeth Scott, PhD is an author, workshop leader, educator, and award-winning blogger on stress management, positive psychology, relationships, and emotional wellbeing.

Essay about Family: What It Is and How to Nail It

Humans naturally seek belonging within families, finding comfort in knowing someone always cares. Yet, families can also stir up insecurities and mental health struggles.

Family dynamics continue to intrigue researchers across different fields. Every year, new studies explore how these relationships shape our minds and emotions.

In this article, our dissertation service will guide you through writing a family essay. You can also dive into our list of topics for inspiration and explore some standout examples to spark your creativity.

What is Family Essay

A family essay takes a close look at the bonds and experiences within families. It's a common academic assignment, especially in subjects like sociology, psychology, and literature.

So, what's involved exactly? Simply put, it's an exploration of what family signifies to you. You might reflect on cherished family memories or contemplate the portrayal of families in various media.

What sets a family essay apart is its personal touch. It allows you to express your own thoughts and experiences. Moreover, it's versatile – you can analyze family dynamics, reminisce about family customs, or explore other facets of familial life.

If you're feeling uncertain about how to write an essay about family, don't worry; you can explore different perspectives and select topics that resonate with various aspects of family life.

Tips For Writing An Essay On Family Topics

A family essay typically follows a free-form style, unless specified otherwise, and adheres to the classic 5-paragraph structure. As you jot down your thoughts, aim to infuse your essay with inspiration and the essence of creative writing, unless your family essay topics lean towards complexity or science.

Here are some easy-to-follow tips from our essay service experts:

• Focus on a Specific Aspect: Instead of a broad overview, delve into a specific angle that piques your interest, such as exploring how birth order influences sibling dynamics or examining the evolving role of grandparents in modern families.
• Share Personal Anecdotes: Start your family essay introduction with a personal touch by sharing stories from your own experiences. Whether it's about a favorite tradition, a special trip, or a tough time, these stories make your writing more interesting.
• Use Real-life Examples: Illustrate your points with concrete examples or anecdotes. Draw from sources like movies, books, historical events, or personal interviews to bring your ideas to life.
• Explore Cultural Diversity: Consider the diverse array of family structures across different cultures. Compare traditional values, extended family systems, or the unique hurdles faced by multicultural families.
• Take a Stance: Engage with contentious topics such as homeschooling, reproductive technologies, or governmental policies impacting families. Ensure your arguments are supported by solid evidence.
• Delve into Psychology: Explore the psychological underpinnings of family dynamics, touching on concepts like attachment theory, childhood trauma, or patterns of dysfunction within families.
• Emphasize Positivity: Share uplifting stories of families overcoming adversity or discuss strategies for nurturing strong, supportive family bonds.
• Offer Practical Solutions: Wrap up your essay by proposing actionable solutions to common family challenges, such as fostering better communication, achieving work-life balance, or advocating for family-friendly policies.

Family Essay Topics

When it comes to writing, essay topics about family are often considered easier because we're intimately familiar with our own families. The more you understand about your family dynamics, traditions, and experiences, the clearer your ideas become.

If you're feeling uninspired or unsure of where to start, don't worry! Below, we have compiled a list of good family essay topics to help get your creative juices flowing. Whether you're assigned this type of essay or simply want to explore the topic, these suggestions from our history essay writer are tailored to spark your imagination and prompt meaningful reflection on different aspects of family life.

So, take a moment to peruse the list. Choose the essay topics about family that resonate most with you. Then, dive in and start exploring your family's stories, traditions, and connections through your writing.

• Supporting Family Through Tough Times
• Staying Connected with Relatives
• Empathy and Compassion in Family Life
• Strengthening Bonds Through Family Gatherings
• Quality Time with Family: How Vital Is It?
• Navigating Family Relationships Across Generations
• Learning Kindness and Generosity in a Large Family
• Communication in Healthy Family Dynamics
• Forgiveness in Family Conflict Resolution
• Building Trust Among Extended Family
• Defining Family in Today's World
• Understanding Nuclear Family: Various Views and Cultural Differences
• Understanding Family Dynamics: Relationships Within the Family Unit
• What Defines a Family Member?
• Modernizing the Nuclear Family Concept
• Exploring Shared Beliefs Among Family Members
• Evolution of the Concept of Family Love Over Time
• Examining Family Expectations
• Modern Standards and the Idea of an Ideal Family
• Life Experiences and Perceptions of Family Life
• Genetics and Extended Family Connections
• Utilizing Family Trees for Ancestral Links
• The Role of Younger Siblings in Family Dynamics
• Tracing Family History Through Oral Tradition and Genealogy
• Tracing Family Values Through Your Family Tree
• Exploring Your Elder Sister's Legacy in the Family Tree
• Connecting Daily Habits to Family History
• Documenting and Preserving Your Family's Legacy
• Navigating Online Records and DNA Testing for Family History
• Tradition as a Tool for Family Resilience
• Involving Family in Daily Life to Maintain Traditions
• Creating New Traditions for a Small Family
• The Role of Traditions in Family Happiness
• Family Recipes and Bonding at House Parties
• Quality Time: The Secret Tradition for Family Happiness
• The Joy of Cousins Visiting for Christmas
• Including Family in Birthday Celebrations
• Balancing Traditions and Unconditional Love
• Building Family Bonds Through Traditions

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Family Essay Example

For a better grasp of the essay on family, our team of skilled writers has crafted a great example. It looks into the subject matter, allowing you to explore and understand the intricacies involved in creating compelling family essays. So, check out our meticulously crafted sample to discover how to craft essays that are not only well-written but also thought-provoking and impactful.

Final Outlook

In wrapping up, let's remember: a family essay gives students a chance to showcase their academic skills and creativity by sharing personal stories. However, it's important to stick to academic standards when writing about these topics. We hope our list of topics sparked your creativity and got you on your way to a reflective journey. And if you hit a rough patch, you can just ask us to ' do my essay for me ' for top-notch results!

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FAQs on Writing an Essay about Family

Family essays seem like something school children could be assigned at elementary schools, but family is no less important than climate change for our society today, and therefore it is one of the most central research themes.

Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions on family-related topics. Before you conduct research, scroll through them and find out how to write an essay about your family.

How to Write an Essay About Your Family History?

How to write an essay about a family member, how to write an essay about family and roots, how to write an essay about the importance of family, related articles.

What Makes Families Resilient?

Nurturing strength amid adversity..

Posted October 11, 2017 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

• What Is Resilience?
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Family resilience has been defined as the family’s ability to “withstand and rebound from disruptive life challenges, strengthened and more resourceful” (Walsh, 2011, p 149). From decades of research and clinical experience, Dr. Froma Walsh, one of the leading authorities on family resilience, has identified nine processes around the beliefs, organization, and communication of families that can shape their response to adversity.

Family resilience, as Dr. Walsh points out, is not just about weathering a storm . Rather, it’s about turning adversity into a catalyst for the family’s growth. It’s about enriching relationships and making family members more skilled at coping with future stresses. We all strive for resilience. Who wouldn't want the ability to meet life’s inevitable challenges with grace? But how are resources for resilience built within a unit of unique individuals, circumstances, and dynamics? With the magic of the small, everyday things, it appears. A conversation here, an activity there. Word by word, bond after bond, families fill their wells with strength and wisdom , hope and creativity . And the reassurance of this common well of reserves becomes a big part of their resilience.

Here is Dr. Walsh in her own words.

1) What has surprised you from your research on resilient families?

Earlier, the idea of strong families involved a set of traits: you either had them or you didn't. But families come with various values and structures, and what matters are their interactional processes: how they support each other. In my research, I found that there was resilience not only in the “normal” families but also in the families that had gone through hard times. It was never about the “rugged individual” saying “I just did it on my own” and “I had all the ingredients inside of me.” Rather, resilience was more about relational support from others. Another surprise was how adversity itself can turn into an opportunity to become stronger, together. Resilience is something that can be built at any point in the lifecycle, even in the most vulnerable families. As a clinician, it has helped me to see the possibilities for gaining resilience.

2) Is there something that resilient families seem to share?

Most families put the nine processes of resilience together differently and creatively, like recipes. The beliefs or practices can be either skills or ways of thinking and being together that promote adaptation to the situation and enable families to have hope in really dark times. They can also enable family members to take action when they feel stuck or have a positive outlook. Another one is making meaning of what you are going through in a way that facilitates your adaptation. I like the saying Master the art of the possible : understand that there are certain things you can’t change the situation and focus your energy on the things that you can change. There is also transcendence; the idea that there is a larger purpose. There are the family role models, like a grandmother who kept them strong because they knew that it was possible. And in a lot of cases, there was their spirituality . For example, single mothers would say, “I talk to God. He helps our family to get through.”

3) How important is family resilience for the well-being of family members during challenging times?

A basic premise in family systems is: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It isn’t just that you have a strong mother or father who holds everything together. Rather, there has to be a sense of common purpose and mutual interdependency. We are here to support each other and care about each other. When one falls back or needs help, the others will step forward. This way, the resilience of the family unit will trickle down to each individual, because each family member is participating in the resilience. For instance, when a parent starts to over-function and some of the kids end up feeling left behind, research shows that they’ll do much better if they participate. They could draw pictures, sweep up, or help Mom. The key is that everyone plays a part. It’s teamwork . A relational approach of resilience is how can we become strong on our own and build a network around us, that we are not forced to do it on our own.

4) What can families who relocate between cultures learn from your research to better prepare themselves for the stresses of international transitions?

For international adaptation, a lot has to do with openness . It’s easy and comforting to keep to yourself or the ex-pat community. But immersion is important, and so is leaving your comfort zone. Start having conversations with people. Invite them to your home. Share a meal. In other words, go outwards and open your boundaries . It will enrich your experience while enlarging your heart and your mind. But don't cut yourself from your past. If you were to cut off a plant from its roots and transplant it elsewhere, it will not survive. You have to bring some of its roots with it.

5) How does communication nurture the family’s resilience?

Communication helps family members feel more connected. For instance, children can prepare a meal with their parents when someone comes over. Or parents can take their children when they visit new places. Whatever the activity, parents can reflect on it with their children afterward and make meaning of the occasion by talking about it. Ask questions like, “What was that like for you? What surprised you?” Even collecting keepsakes and exchanging gifts can become practices that strengthen the resilience of the whole family. What parents impart onto their children and the way they carry themselves is so important. In a way, they are conveying a set of attitudes and beliefs to their kids. An attitude might be, “Look, isn’t it interesting?” rather than, “Oh my God, what is that?” If we start with the attitude “I am going to make the best of it!” then the kids will pick up on it.

Also, as part of communication, an important aspect in family resilience is to acknowledge the hardships. You have to sit with family members, comfort them, and acknowledge their feelings. It’s equally important to have joy together. It’s not just problem-solving. It is also finding things to celebrate, finding ways to have fun or to laugh at mistakes. In the end, it’s also about the outlook that we hold as individuals and as families. We can look at adversity and see all the ways that it can run us down. Or we can think of it as something that will transform and empower us.

Many thanks to Froma Walsh for being generous with her time and insights. Froma Walsh, MSW, Ph.D., is co-director and co-founder of the Chicago Center for Family Health and is the Mose and Sylvia Firestone Professor Emerita in the School of Social Service Administration and Department of Psychiatry , Pritzker School of Medicine, at the University of Chicago. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and an AAMFT approved supervisor. Dr. Walsh is the author of Strengthening Family Resilience (2015, 3rd edition).

Southwick, S. M., Litz, B. T., Charney, D., & Friedman, M. J. (Eds.). (2011). Resilience and mental health: Challenges across the lifespan . Cambridge University Press.

Walsh, F. (2011). Family resilience: a collaborative approach in response to stressful life challenges. Resilience and mental health: Challenges across the lifespan , 149-161.

Marianna Pogosyan, Ph.D. , is a lecturer in Cultural Psychology and a consultant specialising in cross-cultural transitions.

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Defining Characteristics of a Healthy Family Essay

A healthy family is a family where its every member is happy and lives in harmony with its other members. Being a happy family requires great efforts on the side of its members. The main characteristic of a healthy family is the deep commitment to each other. There are a lot of obstacles that can set families apart, for instance, disagreements, problematic children, domestic stress, money issues, and so on. However, when such situations happen, in order to stay a happy family, instead of losing control and falling into despair, all members of the family must stay strong and support each other (Gladding, 2015).

An unhealthy family is a family where at least one of its members is unhappy, as this member always influences the whole family. One of the main characteristics of an unhealthy family is the presence of never-ending conflicts that appear from nowhere and are being resolved for a long time. Misunderstandings are normal in the family life. However, the family members must communicate with each other, respect each other’s opinions, learn to make compromises, and do not hold grudges against each other (Gladding 2015).

The given family is considered an unhealthy family, as one of its members is unhappy and causes problems to other members of the family. In this case, it is a teenage boy. Although it is quite a natural situation, as teenagers are often difficult to handle, I should give the recommendations to the parents to prevent the deterioration of the situation. First, the parents should establish an effective communication with their boy, as the teenagers and their parents often misunderstand each other. The parents should remain calm in a conversation with their boy. They should express empathy, support, and a little humor to show their understanding of their boy’s problems. Then, they should make some kind of an agreement where they make some compromises and give some freedom to their boy, and in return, the boy must respect and follow the family’s rules. It is crucial to make the boy understand that if he violates these rules, continues being aggressive towards his mother, breaking the curfew, and doing poorly at school, he will receive a fair punishment (Novik & Podgórecki, 2015).

Gladding, S. T. (2015). The professional counselor’s desk reference (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Novik, N. N., Podgórecki, J. (2015). A model of developing communication skills among adolescents with behavioral problems. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education, 10 (4), 579-587.

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The Meaning of Family-Oriented: Creating Strong Family Culture

By: Author Dr. Patrick Capriola

Posted on Published: September 4, 2019

Today’s world is busier and more structured for kids than ever before. As a result, it is more challenging to establish the norms that are likely to develop a strong family bond. Parents can change this dynamic by creating family-oriented experiences for their kids early and often.

Family-oriented means committing to your family first, appreciating the relationship you share with them, and demonstrating that appreciation through your priorities . Being family-oriented is a state of mind informed by your value system which serves as a guide for structuring your life around your family .

Strong family-orientation leads to closer bonds and supportive relationships in all areas of life. It is the quality and nature of family relationships that are of the most importance.

Being family-oriented is synonymous with being family-centered or family-focused. Those who consider themselves as family-oriented sometimes long to start a family, come from a tightly knit family, or have a religious background.

What It Means to be Family Oriented

Family orientation is not about spending all your free time entertaining family members.

It is a commitment to a relationship, wanting to spend time together, and looking forward to the company of family.

Family-oriented individuals participate in activities with their family, are open to marriage to their partners, and are child-friendly.

The steps needed to become family-oriented are different depending on your family situation right now.

A parent, adolescent, and child are all going to go about their commitment to building that bond in different ways.

However, they do share many of the same principles and traits:

• Service to Others
• Deep Care for Loved Ones
• Understanding
• Willingness to Compromise

Positive family interaction may look different from family to family, but the healthy ones strive to embody these principles.

They all fall short of them at times, but they are intentional about using these concepts as their compass to guide how they will treat those to whom they are closest.

Family members will respond to behaviors and cues differently. Cultural goals, current life situations, personal history, and temperament affect how they interact.

Responses also vary with gender — for example, a family man and a family woman influence a child’s academic success and social-emotional development in different ways.

In the process, they counterbalance each other, providing the child with a strong academic and emotional foundation to face life’s challenges.

Setting Family-Oriented Goals

It is difficult to define family goals because there are no two families alike. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Whether the unit is a traditional family, stepfamily, or single-parent family, there is a unique dynamic that comes into play.

Look at your family’s current situation and pinpoint what you want to achieve and set goals to accomplish them.

Just like anything else in life, being thoughtful and intentional will go a long way in helping you achieve your goal.

Make a list of what works in the family relationship and what needs some work.

Maybe your family needs to visit grandparents who live in another state or country more often.

Perhaps there are strained step relationships. Identify what you desire to work on to begin setting family goals. Then, decide what you can do to make things better.

Through your example, others may come around to your way of thinking.

In essence, all families what the same thing. They want to be happy. It is the number one goal families set.

The Australian Family Strength Research Project identified some universal characteristics of happy families.

• Communication
• Sharing Activities
• Togetherness

These eight principles are an excellent starting point for setting family goals. Start with simple changes.

Over time and with dedication, you are likely to see benefits snowball. Families benefit when there is two-way communication that is open, patient, understanding, and loving.

They share activities. Some decisions need to include children’s input to help them feel they are worthwhile family members.

A happy family shares a feeling of togetherness. They encourage and support each other.

Happy families show affection towards each other. Families may consist of individuals with different needs.

They may have different beliefs and values. Happy families display acceptance of individual differences and are resilient during challenging times.

Be Open to Marriage and Children

People who are family-oriented tend to date people they feel are in search of a relationship that potentially turns into something serious, rather than casual dating.

If you have children or date someone who does, family-oriented means being comfortable, including children and possibly future children in your life.

Family-Oriented Activities

The number of ways to spend quality time with the family to foster the principles mentioned above is unlimited.

Family-oriented activities can involve the entire family or smaller groups.

Examples include having a weekly game night, watching a football game together, and eating dinner together instead of in front of the television.

If children learn ballet or play a sport, take time as a family to attend the ballet concert or watch them play their game.

If possible, attend school sports days. Schedule dedicated, quality time with the children and your partner.

Each time you do one of these things, the bond gets a little stronger as your dedication to each other become more apparent.

The purpose of the activities is to strengthen and foster relationships, remind families why it is essential to spend time together, and build memories.

It is a frame of mind that guides actions in relationships with friends and family.

Family orientation also means appreciating partners’ relationships with their families.

Family-Oriented Homes Create Positive Life Outco mes

Family well-being is essential for stability in the home. Healthy parent-child relationships support positive interactions, which in turn promotes bonding.

It creates an environment where passions, hopes, and strengths of the family are reinforced and valued ( source ).

A primary function of the family, besides support, is helping each other grow and learn.

While money can buy a college education, it cannot teach the beliefs and values needed for children to grow into responsible adults.

For that, no money is required. Instead, patience, love, and understanding are the currency of a home with strong values.

Families guide social behaviors and morals in a way that the education system cannot.

An individual’s identity and self-esteem are strongly affected by their relationship with family members. Each has a role to play, and each serves as a teacher to the children in the family.

Parents expect children to be cooperative and responsible. Considering the needs of all and valuing interpersonal relationships are common expectations in close families.

According to the National Institutes for Health, close extended family relationships help protect adolescents from the influence of negative peer pressure.

Beyond the nuclear family, close bonds with grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins can be valuable to a child’s sense of worth and belonging.

To reinforce this sense of closeness neighbors, friends, and organizations such as churches, can serve important roles in bringing families closer.

The Institute suggests there are three primary aspects of familism:

• Family obligations
• Emotional closeness and support
• Need to rise to family expectations

Each of these factors serves key roles in creating, developing, and maintaining family culture.

Child Outcomes for Family-Oriented Families

When parents have a healthy sense of their power they use it to care for their kids, protect them from harm, avoid aggressive reactions, and use parenting practices that promote healthy outcomes for the entire family.

A positive parent-child relationship is the foundation for a child’s ability to learn.

When parents provide predictable, responsive, and sensitive care, young children develop the skills needed to succeed in life.

Early parent-child relationships affect the child’s emotional well-being, coping and problem-solving skills, and the capacity to form future relationships ( source ).

These interactions teach children the skills they need for engagement with others and how to succeed in various environments.

They learn to manage behaviors and emotions and establish healthy adult and peer relationships. In the process, the children learn to resolve conflicts and adjust to new situations.

Challenges to Being Family-Orient ed

Negative behaviors and health outcomes are more common when families live with instability, stress, a lack of resources, or are isolated. Any of these risks pose a challenge.

When there is a combination of risk factors, the threat is even greater.

A build-up of risk factors negatively affects parent-child interactions. This often results in a  negative effect on the child’s social-emotional, cognitive, and language development.

Parents can protect their kids from these risk factors by developing their communication skills, growing their social-emotional connection, and creating a supportive home environment where the child feels accepted for who they are.

Programs to Help Families Become Family-Oriented

There are programs out there that also help parents facilitate the healthy development of their child.

Parents with young children should look for local Early Head Start and Head Start programs. They promote positive parenting outcomes by providing strong support.

Other programs, like Montessori, Waldorf, and Reggio Emilia are child-centered education models that help children build confidence, develop their understanding of the world, and explore their interests.

Strategies to Become Family-Oriented

Research suggests that parent expectations of their adolescents’ skills, abilities, and future occupational and educational choices have a powerful influence on adolescent and young adult achievement ( source ).

Expectations are shaped and reinforced by both covert and overt parent behavior.

Adolescents learn and internalize behavior from their parents and families, which in turn influences their behaviors, attitudes, values, and beliefs.

This has a direct impact on how they see the world and their life outcomes.  

Autonomy development is among the most critical developmental concepts during adolescence.

It is an essential self-determination component. Autonomous individuals act with one’s abilities, preferences, and interests without influence from others.

Theorists and researchers from a wide range of disciplines cite how important family and other adults are in promoting autonomy development in adolescents.

Older kids need to figure out who they are. This can be a long and arduous process but is worth it.

Parents should provide strong support and responsible guidance during this period.

Exposing them to various outlets where they can develop their creativity, curiosity, concentration, resilience, and responsibility and key in helping them figure out who they want to become.

F amily-Oriented Kids Adjust Well to College

An influential study investigated how the parent-adolescent relationship impacted the child’s adjustment when transitioning to college.

Personal-emotional, social, and academic components included in the analysis.

The link between the mother-adolescent relationship appeared to be more influential than that of the father-adolescent relationship for overall and sectional data collected.

Students identified parents, particularly mothers, as the first people from whom they seek support.

More African Americans and dormitory resident students identified their mothers than from other ethnic backgrounds or commuters.

The finding suggests the cultural history and living arrangements may be factors to consider when looking forward to your adolescent’s college experience ( source ).

The quality of parent-child relationships forms the basis for the ongoing relationship when the child transitions to college.

Important factors to consider include; trust, closeness, and communication.

Along with other variables, they coalesce to form the student’s perception of his or her relationship with each parent.

The study indicated a positive correlation between strong parent-adolescent relationships and academic adjustment but not social and personal-emotional adjustment.

However, other studies found an association between social and personal-emotional adjustment.

The consensus seems to be that students cope better with the transition to college when they perceive high levels of support from parents and are happy with the amount of support they receive.

When such is the case, students use parents as a secure base to explore and adjust to college life.

How to Be a Family Man or Family Woman

Studies on this topic investigated child relationships with fathers and mothers separately.

Fathers and mothers differ in the types of experiences they offer to their children.

For example, generally speaking, mothers tend to be more emotionally available for infants than fathers.

The pattern continues through childhood and adolescence. Mothers engage in more frequent interaction than fathers.

Fathers have a more distant relationship. Generally speaking, mothers are more responsive during adolescence and fathers more demanding.

Male and female adolescents attest to being closer to mothers than fathers.

Studies also show a correlation between different academic, personal-emotional, and social variables and parenting characteristics were consistently more significant and stronger for mothers than fathers.

The transition to college also shows measures of mother-adolescent relationships are more predictive of adjusting to college than the measure of father-adolescent relationships.

The sample was diverse in terms of parental marital status, ethnicity, and gender.

Do these findings negate the importance of fathers? Not at all. Fathers play a very significant role in family-oriented cultures.

Families with fathers in the home fare significantly better than those without. There is no substitute for two loving parents in the home.

Parents who embody these values know home is not a place from which to escape.

Whenever they are away from the people and place they love, they feel a palpable longing to be home.

Dedicated parents love their family. They do not view them as burdens that require a compromise of plans and goals.

They put their family first. When making everyday choices, their choices meet the family’s needs. Their own needs are a secondary priority.

Children spell love T-I-M-E. The importance of spending quality time with family may seem obvious, but its impact can’t be understated.

The family man spends time with his children out of genuine love rather than a sense of obligation. His interests intertwine with the needs of his children.

He cares about other people and is a contributing member of his community.

He will mete out discipline if needed to teach children right from wrong but knows relationships development with more than instruction.

His words are affirmations that build up self-respect, acceptance, confidence, and courage in his children.

Strong parents are always on guard. They are purposeful in what their children watch, what they do, where they go, and with whom they spend time.

Their training and example actively teach their children how to be good men and women.

When children have difficulty communicating, they patiently encourage them to express what they are feeling. Parents have a lot to ponder.

No one accomplishes all of the above perfectly at all times. They stay focused on what matters to their families and do the very best they can ( source ).

Final Thoughts

For those families who want to become more family-oriented, becoming family oriented may involve a change in behavior and mindset.

At its core, it consists in becoming more appreciative and committed to the family.

Families have to learn how to manage life together with other commitments like work, extracurricular activities, and friendships.

Like any obligation, becoming family-oriented takes work to make it a priority.

Each family has different needs. Figuring out the best choices for families is vital as they navigate ways to make the family a significant priority.

You can begin by expressing your commitment. Show the family your commitment by demonstrating loyalty, modifying the emphasis placed on work, and overhauling the to-do list for chores and work.

Put a focus on family time above all else.

Where appropriate, integrate the family with the chores and tasks to build shared respect of each person’s contributions in the home.

Get the family involved. It is not a sound strategy to try to do everything yourself — Monitor family goals.

Family dynamics change as children grow up, and parents grow older. Stay in touch with the family ‘feel’ and put family first.

Intentionally spend time with each family member to develop a deep bond with each one on a personal level.

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Identifying Successful Families: An Overview of Constructs and Selected Measures

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Maria Krysan, Kristin A. Moore, Ph.D., and Nicholas Zill, Ph.D.

Child trends, inc., may 10, 1990.

PDF Version

This report was prepared under contract #HHS-100-89-0041 between HHS's Office of Social Services Policy (now the Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy) and Child Trends, Inc. For additional information about this subject, you can visit the ASPE home page at http://aspe.hhs.gov . The Project Officer was Gerald Silverman.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction.

Researchers, policy makers, and the media have focused considerable attention on the problems of families and how some families are failing to meet the needs of their members. Much less attention has been paid to strong, healthy families, and the characteristics that make them successful. Understanding the "secrets" of strong families would be useful to clinicians and counselors as they plan intervention programs designed to help families. The extent to which the characteristics of healthy families are skills that can be taught has implications for policy development and intervention programs. Information on family strengths can also be useful to those seeking to improve family life.

The study of family strengths has been pursued by researchers from a variety of disciplines, including psychiatry, sociology, psychology, and family/marriage counseling. This paper will present an overview of this growing literature, focusing on four topics:

• the definition of strong families;
• the characteristics of strong families as identified by various researchers;
• the operationalization of these characteristics; and
• the methodological, policy, and intervention issues that the research raises.

A review of the literature on successful families suggests two general strategies that have been used to uncover the ingredients that make for family success. First, there is the study of family strengths per se. This is a body of research that looks at strong families in order to identify what makes them strong. Stinnett and DeFrain's work at the Family Strengths Research Project represents such a perspective. They focus on strengths. Alternatively, there are researchers who study healthy or normal families and the characteristics that differentiate them from their dysfunctional counterparts. These researchers often begin by examining problem families (such as those of mental patients) and contrasting them with healthy families. The work of Olson, McCubbin, Beavers, and Lewis illustrate this approach.

Research focusing on topics other than successful families is often relevant to the study of strong families. For example, research on family communication, time use in families, and conflict resolution among families and couples can help shed light on the processes within families that make them strong or that undermine their ability to be successful. This research can provide empirical support for hypotheses about the importance to family functioning of a given family characteristic. In addition, the constructs and measures developed in these more narrow and intense studies can potentially be adopted for use in broad assessments of the multiple factors that determine family success. This overview will focus, however, primarily on studies specifically on successful families research.

DEFINING A SUCCESSFUL FAMILY

Any attempt to understand the "secrets" of strong families must begin with an understanding of the definition of a successful family. A family can be identified as successful by the characteristics of the individual members, by the characteristics of the family interaction, or by the extent to which it fulfills certain functions considered to be the responsibility of the family.

One criterion for a successful family is that it is able to reproduce itself; i.e. to raise children who go on to establish stable and harmonious families themselves. This is, of course, a broad and somewhat circular definition that is difficult to apply at a given point because of the time involved in waiting for children to establish families of their own. A number of additional definitions are available for consideration.

Some researchers have approached the question of defining a successful family by developing models and perspectives about the functions of the family. The functions that have been used have tended to be psychological ones, rather than societal or economic functions of the family. For example, Lewis and colleagues, approaching the study of the family from a clinical perspective, use Parson's two cardinal tasks of a family to guide their research: "A family ought to raise children who become autonomous, and it should provide sufficient emotional support for stabilizing the parents' personalities and continuing their emotional maturation. To the extent a family accomplishes these tasks, it can be considered competent; to the extent it fails at one or both tasks, it can be considered less competent or dysfunctional" (Lewis and Looney, 1983, p. 4). Thus, a family is successful to the extent that it provides an environment appropriate for the development of child and parent alike.

Stinnett, coming from a family strengths research perspective, proposes that a successful or strong family "creates a sense of positive family identity, promotes satisfying and fulfilling interaction among members, encourages the development of family group and individual members, and is able to deal with stress" (Stinnett, 1979). This definition used by Stinnett differs from Lewis' in that it includes an element of satisfaction with family life in addition to positive individual outcomes. This difference has implications for operationalizing the definition, which will be discussed in a later section.

David Olson and colleagues propose that families should be able to: 1) "cope with stress and problems in an efficient and effective way;" 2) "have and use coping resources both from within and from outside the family;" and 3) "have the ability to end up being more cohesive, more flexible and more satisfied as a result of effectively overcoming stress and problems" (Olson, 1986, p. 104). Their focus is on a family's ability to adjust, in the face of change or crisis, with an emphasis on the changes across the family life cycle. Their definition of a strong family is contingent on family interaction rather than the characteristics of the individual.

Based on various assumptions about what a strong family does, researchers have developed lists of particular characteristics that are common among successful families . The traits identified by some of these researchers are found in Appendix A . These represent a combination of structural and behavioral attributes of the family. Much of the research that went into identifying these characteristics was based on models of family functioning that point to specific areas of family dynamics that are critical to successful family functioning.

Despite some disparities, a perusal of Appendix A reveals a number of similarities across researchers. Thus, in spite of differences in discipline and perspective, there seems to be a consensus about the basic dimensions of a strong, healthy family. In an unpublished review of the literature, Judson Swihart identifies those characteristics of strong families that are most frequently mentioned by researchers.

These constructs, which are often interrelated and complex, will form the framework for the remainder of the discussion on the characteristics of strong families. These constructs are:

• communication
• encouragement of individuals
• commitment to family
• religious orientation
• social connectedness
• ability to adapt
• expressing appreciation
• clear roles
• time together

In a later section, each of these constructs will be identified, defined and described briefly as it exists in strong, healthy families. In addition, a sample of the instruments used to measure it will be presented. First, we briefly describe several approaches to operationalizing what it means to be a strong or successful family.

Identifying Strong or Successful Families

In empirical research, criteria must be selected to use in identifying a strong family so a set of characteristics common to them can be assembled. Despite general agreement on the characteristics of strong families, the criteria that are used in a research study to differentiate between a functional and a dysfunctional family will depend on the perspective of the researcher and what s/he considers to be the functions of a family, and how s/he defines success. For example, is the education of children a family function or not? Is it more important to children to grow up to be happy or economically self-sufficient, or are both essential? Researchers have operationalized the concept of a strong family in a number of ways.

Some researchers identify strong families as those that are nonpathological or nonclinical (for example, Olson, Lewis, Beavers, etc.). That is, they study clinical and nonclinical families and then identify dynamics or characteristics which distinguish between the two. Thus, a strong family is one whose members are not seeking professional help, are not alcoholics, are not schizophrenics, etc. These researchers have developed models of family functioning based on different assumptions of what a family is supposed to do. They use these models to identify patterns of interaction that distinguish between well-functioning and poorly functioning families, based on the differences between clinical and nonclinical families. They describe the characteristics in terms of the way these families deal with certain issues (power, conflict, affective issues, etc.)

Other researchers, those studying family strengths per se, use a different method for distinguishing between strong families and weak families. In their research, Stinnett and DeFrain have selected strong families based on three assumptions: 1) "they would have a high degree of marital happiness;" 2) "they would have satisfying parent-child relationships;" and 3) "family members would do a good job of meeting each other's needs" (Stinnett and DeFrain, 1985, p. 9).

They identify strong families in their research in two ways. In an initial study, subjects were located through a nomination process. Most of the respondents for a second data collection project were volunteers responding to a newspaper ad requesting participants for a research project on strong families. Participants in both of these studies were screened using a self-report family and marital satisfaction scale. Those who scored very high were included in the study. Thus, for the most part, successful families have been operationalized as those people who are identified by themselves or others to be successful. The characteristics of these families are then studied. The nomination process has also been used by Lawrence Gary, in his study of the strengths of stable, black families (Gary et al., 1983).

A result of this type of research is the identification of a set of characteristics that families identify as important to family functioning, traits that make them a strong family. In their study of American Indian, black, Chicano, white, and Hmong families, Abbott and Meredith find a number of similarities across all these groups as to what parents consider to be traits of healthy families (Abbott & Meredith, 1985).

Measurement Strategies

Researchers have devised a number of means to measure characteristics of family life. The methods range from large scale surveys to observation techniques. The assessments vary in scope from measures of total family functioning to the measurement of component constructs. Prior to reviewing each individual construct, the issue of "total family functioning" must be addressed.

Much research on family strengths and successful families has been in the assessment of total family functioning. In these inventories, the entire set of characteristics that are identified by the researcher to be important to the functioning of a successful family is built into one scale which measures "total family functioning." These instruments are often used as screening mechanisms for clinicians or as an identifier of a strong family for research purposes. That is, families who score high on this overall assessment are considered strong, successful families.

One such paper-and-pencil measure is Olson's Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES). This scale was designed specifically to test hypotheses derived from his Circumplex Model. The two main dimensions measured are cohesion and adaptability, which are operationalized in terms of measures of component constructs such as commitment, encouragement of individual members, time together, and social connectedness (Olson, 1982).

Moos' Family Environment Scale, another "total family functioning measure" consists of three subscales focusing on different dimensions of the family: relationship, personal growth, and system maintenance. Again, these dimensions are operationalized in terms of cohesion, expressiveness, conflict, control, organization, etc., and are assessed by having study participants fill out forms that describe their family (Moos and Moos, 1986).

The Beavers Timberlawn Family Evaluation Scale (BTFES) is an example of an observation technique for assessing total family functioning. A trained clinician observes a video tape of family interaction and assesses the family across several dimensions to achieve an overall family functioning measure. This measurement technique has been used by Lewis in studies of well-functioning working class blacks, as well as married couples making the transition to parenthood (Lewis and Looney, 1983; Lewis, 1989).

In the following sections, we will discuss component constructs and describe how they manifest themselves in successful families. Where possible, specific examples of instruments used to measure them will be identified. Of course these measures often are subscales of total family functioning instruments, such as those described above.

Measures of Communication

The presence of effective communication patterns is one of the most frequently mentioned characteristics of strong families (Swihart, 1988). Researchers characterize the communication patterns of strong families as clear, open, and frequent. Family members talk to each other often, and when they do, they are honest and open with each other (For example, Stinnett & DeFrain, 1985; Lewis, 1979; Epstein, 1983; Olson, 1986). Indeed, the Circumplex Model, developed by Olson and colleagues, identifies communication as the facilitating dimension of a functional family.

Many people have studied communication patterns in the family and have used a variety of methods, including both observational and self-report survey instruments. Grotevant's work on the contribution of the family to identity formation in adolescents provides an example of observation work which links family communication patterns with positive individual outcomes. This study involved the observation of 121 families with a high school senior as they perform a decision-making task. In his work, Grotevant finds that individuals from families characterized by open and clear communication score higher on measures of self-esteem (Grotevant, 1983).

Barnes and Olson have developed a self-report instrument that focuses on the nature of communication during the often difficult period of adolescence. This inventory collects perceptions from three family members: both parents and the adolescent. In this instrument, respondents are questioned about "the amount of openness, the extent of problems or barriers to family communication and the degree to which people are selective in their discussion with other family members" (Olson et al., 1982, p. 34).

Swihart points out that communication skills are a particularly fruitful area in terms of intervention. Skill in communication and teaching families to communicate better has been a successful intervention technique and is the focus of many programs (Swihart, 1988).

Measures of Encouragement, Appreciation and Commitment

The next three characteristics are closely linked, and so will first be addressed as a whole, and then individually. The encouragement of individual members, expressing appreciation, and commitment to family are all affective aspects of family life that are closely related to a dimension identified by several researchers as cohesion. Olson defines cohesion as the feeling of closeness and attachment of family members to each other. The instrument he uses to measure this construct (FACES) consists of subscales that include the above three characteristics. Thus, Olson defines cohesion as a sum of, among other things, commitment, appreciation and support, and the encouragement of the individual within the context of the family (Olson et al., 1982).

Numerous researchers have identified the construct of cohesion as important, though sometimes with slightly different definitions. Furthermore, there have been a number of techniques developed to measure the construct. In addition to verbal self-report techniques, non-verbal techniques have been used to measure cohesion. For example, Feldman, in her study of changing perceptions of family power and cohesion across adolescence, had adolescents represent the amount of closeness between family members by placing figures on a board. Closeness was defined by how far apart members were placed in relation to each other. She used this as an indication of cohesion (Feldman and Gehring, 1988).

Although the summary concept of cohesion has been measured by a variety of techniques, measures of the component characteristics of encouragement of individual members, commitment to family, and expression of appreciation are much less common.

The encouragement of individual members encompasses a wide range of affective dimensions related to support, recognition and respect. Swihart reviews the basic concept as it manifests itself in strong families: "Strong families appreciated the uniqueness of each family member while cultivating a sense of belonging to the family. Individuals enjoyed the family framework which provided structure but did not confine" (Swihart, 1988, p. 3). Thus, the development of the autonomy of its members, within a supportive environment, is an important function of the family, and a characteristic of strong families.

Grotevant's observational study of family characteristics and adolescent development is relevant to this dimension. This study describes the form that this takes in families with successful identity formation of the children. He notes: "...these studies converge on the conclusion that both connectedness (as indicated by support, cohesiveness, and acceptance) and individuality (as indicated by disagreements) in family interaction are related to identity formation in late adolescence" (Grotevant, 1983, p. 231). Grotevant identifies the nature of the family interaction and provides evidence for the support of the importance of the encouragement of the individual as a characteristic of a successful family.

Stinnett describes commitment to the family as follows: "Commitment ... goes in two directions. Each family member is valued; each is supported and sustained. At the same time they are committed to the family as a unit. They have a sense of being a team; they have a family identity and unity. When outside pressures (work, for example) threaten to remove family from its top priority, members of strong families take action and make sacrifices if necessary to preserve family well-being" (Stinnett, 1986, p. 48).

"Delivering a high level of positive reinforcement to family members, day in and day out, doing things that are positive from the other person's perspective, just for their sake, not merely as a strategy for "buying their love," etc.", is Schumm's description of appreciation as an important characteristic of strong families (Schumm, 1986, p. 122). Measures of commitment to the family and expressing appreciation are most often found as subscales of family functioning scales, such as Moos and Moos' Family Environment Scale, or Stinnett and DeFrain's Family Strengths Inventory. Few instruments offer assessments of these constructs on their own.

Measures of Religious Orientation

Religious orientation is identified by many researchers as being an important component of strong families. Most researchers point out that religious orientation/spiritual wellness is not necessarily contingent on membership in any particular denomination, or on frequency of church attendance. Stinnett offers a sample of the various forms religious or spiritual wellness can take: "For many, the yearnings of their spiritual nature are expressed by membership in an organized religious body such as a church, synagogue, or temple. For others spirituality manifests a concern for others, involvement in worthy causes, or adherence to a moral code" (Stinnett, 1986, p. 48). Thus, this construct has not always been defined in terms of measures of frequency of church attendance or adherence to a specific belief. Rather, the emphasis is that strong families are guided by an underlying moral or value system shared by all members. Subscales in a number of the self-report inventories designed to assess total family functioning measure this construct, in particular, Moos and Moos' Family Environment Scale and Olson's Enriching and Nurturing Relationship Issues, Communication, and Happiness Scale (ENRICH). Stinnett and DeFrain, in their Family Strengths Inventory, also assess this dimension. In the Family Environment Scale, respondents are asked to respond true or false to such questions as: "Family members attend church, synagogue, or Sunday school fairly often," and "We don't believe in heaven and hell" (Moos and Moos, 1986).

Measures of Adaptability

A family's ability to adapt to stressful and potentially damaging events, as well as to predictable life-cycle changes, has been identified as an important characteristic of strong families. Researchers note that ability to adapt is contingent upon a number of other characteristics common to strong families such as effective communication, affective involvement, external resources, etc. (for example, Stinnett and DeFrain, Lewis, Olson, McCubbin). This section focuses on family characteristics not yet discussed that have been linked to successful adaptation.

Like cohesion, adaptability is a major dimension identified by Olson's Circumplex Model. Indeed, much of his research focuses on the ability or inability of different families to overcome stress and crises. This concept can be broken down into several individual constructs. Among these are two of the nine characteristics of strong families on which this paper is focusing. First, a family's social connectedness affects its ability to seek external assistance in the face of problems. In addition, the clear definition of roles (in particular those related to the power structure) within the family is an important factor in its ability to adapt to changes. These will be addressed following a broader discussion of adaptability.

Adaptability, as a central dimension of the Circumplex Model, has been defined as "the ability of a marital or family system to change its power structure, role relationships, and relationship rules in response to situational and developmental stress" (Olson et al., 1989, p. 12). It is hypothesized that well-functioning families have modes of adaptation that are structured or flexible rather than rigid or chaotic. Olson qualifies this hypothesis in two important ways, which apply to both the adaptability and cohesion dimensions. First of all, in measuring these constructs, family members are asked to rate their families on both perceived and ideal situations. Thus, a level of satisfaction with current family dynamics is obtained. It is hypothesized that if all family members are satisfied with the family as it is, even though it may be considered extreme on either cohesion or adaptability, then the family will function effectively (Olson et al., 1989).

Second, Olson proposes that families at different stages in the life cycle (childless, with infants, with elementary school children, with adolescents, etc.) require different levels of cohesion and adaptability. That is, a level of cohesion that is functional in a family with an infant may not be once the child is an adolescent (Olson et al., 1989).

Olson uses the FACES self-report scale to measure the level of adaptability in the family. This is made up of questions developed to assess the family power, negotiation style, role relationships and relationship rules within the family.

Measures of Social Connectedness

Successful families are not isolated; they are connected to the wider society. One effect of such a connection is the subsequent availability of external resources, identified by researchers as important to effective coping by families. An intervention study by Cowan and Cowan offers support for the importance of social support in overcoming a stressful period in family life. In their research, they identified couples who were childless but planning to have their first child soon. This time period, the birth of a first child, is often identified as a particularly stressful one for families. Intervention consisted of group meetings at which couples discussed problems and issues pertinent to the arrival of a first child, and the husband-wife relationship. The authors provide evidence, based on comparisons to control groups receiving no intervention, that this form of social support was helpful in the partner's transition to parenthood (Cowan and Cowan, 1987).

One way to measure social connectedness is to ask families to identify those external resources available to them. For example, McCubbin's self-report F-COPES (Family Coping Strategies) Scale assesses the extent to which a family turns to friends, family, neighbors, and community resources when they are facing a crisis (Olson et al., 1982). In their study of stable black families, Gary and colleagues assessed this dimension by asking questions about respondents' participation in organizations in the community, as well as the presence of relatives in the area, and neighbors who were considered close friends (Gary et al., 1983).

Measures of Clear Roles

Many researchers identify clear role definition as an important characteristic of family functioning, and as essential for a family's ability to adapt to changing situations. With a clear, yet flexible structure in place, family members are aware of their responsibilities in and to the family. Consequently, in the face of crisis and problems, members know their roles. The McMaster Family Assessment Device (Epstein, et al, 1983), a self-report instrument, has a subscale that measures roles in the family. The authors note the nature of this aspect of family functioning: "[it] focuses on whether the family has established patterns of behavior for handling a set of family functions ... In addition, assessment of the roles dimension includes consideration of whether tasks are clearly and equitably assigned to family members and whether tasks are carried out responsibly by family members" (Epstein, et al, 1983). An eight-item subscale provides a measure of this construct.

Related to the concept of role definition is the issue of power. Who decides what and how it is decided are indicators of the role structure in the family. Within healthy families, there is a clear recognition that the parents are in charge. At the same time, parents are open to their children's input -- the parents are rarely seen as authoritarian (Lewis, 1979, pp. 87-88).

Power and control have been measured by a number of techniques. In her study on adolescent's perception of power and cohesion in the family, Feldman uses a projective instrument to assess the power structure of the family. Subjects symbolically represent their family's power structure by elevating on blocks figures that represent individuals in the family. The relative height of the figures is taken to indicate the perceived ability of that member to influence other members (Feldman and Gehring, 1988).

In the Family Assessment Device described above, the nature of behavior control is assessed in terms of the "way a family expresses and maintains standards for the behavior of its members. Behavior in situations of different sorts is assessed as are different patterns of control" (Epstein, et al, 1983). This nine-item self-report subscale asks questions about family rules and expectations. A number of other self-report instruments have been designed with subscales that tap the power dynamics in the family, including Moos and Moos' Family Environment Scale.

Measures of Time Together

A final ingredient in family strength is spending time together. Researchers note that this includes quality as well as quantity of time. Self-report instruments assessing family functioning address this topic in terms of the quality of time spent together, and the extent to which families enjoy spending time together. Questions are asked about whether "family members like to spend their free time with each other" (Olson's FACES) and about "spending time together and doing things with each other" (Stinnett and DeFrain, Family Strengths Inventory). Detailed methodological work on this construct has been conducted by researchers interested in time use per se, which could be adapted for use in the study of successful families.

METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES

The following methodological limitations and issues must be considered in evaluating the study of family strengths and successful families:

The use of small and non-random samples.

Samples used in research on family strengths studies are often small and seldom representative of the national population or even of a known subpopulation. Studies on strong families by clinicians are also characterized by small, homogenous samples. For example, Beavers and Lewis studied 33 families, the majority of which were white, Protestant, middle- to upper-class, biologically intact families with an oldest child in adolescence (Beavers, 1977). Research using self-report surveys has a tendency to employ larger samples, but these are rarely representative. The majority of the 1,146 families who participated in the study by Olson and colleagues, for example, were Caucasian and Lutheran (Olson et al., 1982). Stinnett and DeFrain have analyzed data from more diverse samples, but participant families were mostly self-selected. Few studies have focused on black, Hispanic, or low-income families. The extent to which one can generalize the findings of family strength studies to the population as a whole is limited by the nature of the samples.

The applicability of findings-based on white, middle-class families to other groups.

A review of the family strengths literature reveals that much of the work in this field has focused on white, and/or middle-class families. This has obvious implications for the ability to generalize the findings to the population as a whole, as well as to subgroups such as minorities and low-income families. Studies of minority families that are relevant to successful family research range from those which focus on minority families and attempt to identify their particular strengths, to those in which minority families and/or low income families are compared with white and/or middle-class families across a variety of dimensions. In the latter case, researchers often use models, constructs, and instruments that were initially developed using white middle-class samples to study successful minority and low-income families.

Building on an initial study of 33 intact white, middle-class families in which Beavers and Lewis identified a number of characteristics of successful families, Lewis and Looney conducted a study that compared this sample with a sample of 18 working-class black families. Although they hypothesized that the differences in socioeconomic status would translate into differences in family characteristics, they found that there were few differences between the competent families in both samples. For the most part, the same traits that characterized the most competent white, middle-class families were characteristics of well-functioning, working-class black families (Lewis and Looney, 1983).

Similarly, Abbott and Meredith studied family strengths across five groups. Their sample consisted of 210 white parents, 105 Chicano parents, 103 black parents, 80 Hmong parents, and 57 American Indian parents. The two objectives of their study were to: 1) identify those characteristics considered critical to effective family functioning; and 2) assess the level of family strengths across the ethnic groups. They made use of family strengths inventories developed by Stinnett and DeFrain, Olson, Curran, and others. They found that parents across all five ethnic groups generally agreed on the traits of healthy families. However, they also found that the white and Hmong families achieved the highest scores on the assessment instruments, followed by blacks, Chicanos, and American Indians, respectively.

The researchers acknowledged that a weakness of the study is that the assessment instruments were created and standardized using white, middle-class samples, thus possibly affecting the validity of the scores for the minority families. In an attempt to compensate for this problem, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews with a subgroup of the sample. These interviews revealed that subjects from all five groups viewed the items on the scales as fair indicators of family strengths (Abbott & Meredith, 1985).

Lawrence Gary and his colleagues conducted an exploratory and descriptive study of 50 black families identified by community groups to be particularly strong and stable (Gary et al., 1983). They sought to identify the critical factors and conditions that contribute to strong black family life, as well as their coping strategies. They found that the families in their sample possessed many of the same characteristics identified previously by other researchers in the field, such as Hill, Scanzoni, Royce and Turner, and Stinnett. (See appendix A for a list of the characteristics identified by these researchers.)

Other researchers have explored differences between white families and black or Hispanic families across specific dimensions of family life. For example, Vega studied cohesion and adaptability in Hispanic and Anglo families using Olson's FACES instrument. In this study, he found that there were no important differences between the low-income Mexican American and middle-income Anglo parents in their perception of levels of family cohesion and adaptability (Vega et al., 1986).

In summary, an important methodological weakness of successful families and family strengths research has been the homogeneity of samples. While the studies described above have used more diverse samples, they have used instruments and measures that were created and standardized, for the most part, on white, middle-class families. The development of measures sensitive to various subpopulations seems an important step if successful family research is to become more relevant to the population as a whole.

Use of measures based on a single family members' perceptions.

In a discussion of research issues related to the study of family interaction, Christensen and Arrington provide a number of methodological comments relevant to family strengths research. One is that a family is composed of individuals interacting. The study of families, they argue, should therefore use techniques that assess interaction dynamics rather than individual characteristics. In much family interaction research, however, the unit of observation (the parent) is often different from the object of study (the family). That is, frequently, studies of families are based on perceptions of one parent. Some researchers have taken care to develop and assess measures capable of being completed by multiple family members (Olson's FACES, for example). The difficulty then becomes designing appropriate methods for combining the scores of a number of family members to arrive at a "family score".

Findings reported by several researchers that members of the same family often score quite differently on family assessment measures further supports the importance of obtaining measures from multiple family members (Christensen and Arrington, 1987). For example, Schumm, in his study of family satisfaction among Anglos and Mexican Americans, found that using just the scores from the mothers results in different conclusions than if the scores of the fathers and adolescents are considered as well (Schumm et al., 1988).

In addition to only assessing one family member's perspective, Christensen and Arrington point out that often times, the actual items on a self-report instrument designed to assess the family focus on the individual rather than on the interaction in the family. For example, a survey question might find out how often one member argued with another, but assess nothing about the circumstances that led to the argument, or how it was resolved. The latter are important descriptors in terms of understanding the nature of family interaction (Christensen and Arrington, 1987).

Even assessment techniques that observe family interaction are not immune to the problem of individual versus family. Christensen and Arrington note: "Observational analyses focus on rates of behavior for each individual present ... the data tell us nothing about who criticized whom, what each person did to elicit criticism, or what each person did in reaction to the criticism" (Christensen and Arrington, 1987, p. 262). They note as an exception the techniques of Gottman and Patterson, who examine, based on observation of family interactions, the "likelihood that a particular behavior by one family member will lead to or follow a behavior by another" (Christensen and Arrington, 1987, p. 262).

The effects of family life-cycle stages.

Family strengths research often, though not always, fails to recognize the impact of various life-cycle stages on the characteristics of strong families. Research by Olson and colleagues, for example, which does explore the effects of life cycle stage, has suggested that the dynamics most conducive to well-functioning families can vary depending on the structure of the household. Power structures and communication patterns that are effective for families with infants and toddlers may differ widely from families with adolescents and young adults. What is functional at one stage may be dysfunctional in another (Olson et al., 1989). Researchers studying family strengths must bear this in mind as they design studies and interpret findings.

Intercorrelations among family strengths characteristics.

The nine characteristics identified by researchers as important to successful family functioning are often highly correlated. For example, the ability to adapt is frequently associated with effective communication skills and connectedness to society, or clear role definitions may be impossible to achieve in families lacking effective communication skills. Schumm proposes a model that addresses the relationships among various characteristics of strong families.

Schumm argues that, "to date it appears that most work associated with the topic of family strengths has focused upon the identification and specification of concepts rather than attempts to interrelate concepts. For the family strengths literature to move in the direction of genuine theory construction as opposed to purely conceptual work, it is critical that a beginning be made in terms of interrelating concepts in the family strengths literature" (Schumm, 1985, p. 5). In light of this, Schumm proposes an initial model of how family strengths fit together. He identifies a number of ways in which some of the six traits identified by Stinnett are interrelated. For example, he links appreciation and commitment to spending time together. Schumm's model is diagrammed in Appendix B .

Schumm's model of family strengths has a number of implications for intervention. It suggests that when determining intervention techniques, the interrelatedness of family characteristics must be considered. As Schumm points out, focusing on one family dynamic may not be helpful until other interaction characteristics are addressed. It may be that a family's communication problems actually reflect an underlying lack of time together or lack of expression of appreciation among family members. Thus, a family's participation in a workshop to improve communication skills may not be helpful because the main problem lies elsewhere, and until that area is resolved, movement along the dimension of communication will be difficult (Schumm, 1985).

ISSUES RELEVANT TO APPLICATION OF FINDINGS

In addition to methodological issues, there are two broad questions that need to be answered about family strengths research before we can tell how much this body of research can contribute to the improvement of family functioning. They are:

Are family strengths causative, or merely symptomatic?

If the family strengths constructs were measured in a representative sample of families, along with other demographic, socioeconomic, and psychological characteristics of family members, would the constructs be predictive of whether the family would still be together and still be functioning harmoniously five or ten years in the future? How much predictive power would the constructs add, over and above that provided by measures of current marital satisfaction, marital conflict, education, income, and other family social assets? As far as we can tell, this question has never been empirically tested.

A related issue is whether traditional theoretical perspectives do not provide a more parsimonious and powerful understanding of family dynamics. None of the work uncovered to date compares the predictive power of successful family models with the power of models generated from other perspectives. It does not appear that the complementarity of models has yet been considered.

How transferable are "family strengths" to families that are not functioning well?

Even if it is demonstrated that the family strength characteristics are strong and unique predictors of successful functioning, there is the important question of whether these characteristics can be taught to those in families that are not functioning well. It may be that the family strengths depend on individual characteristics of family members such as intelligence, flexibility, emotional stability, etc., that have a substantial genetic component or depend on early upbringing. Teaching strengths to individuals who are unintelligent, rigid, hostile, or unstable might well prove to be a daunting undertaking. On the other hand, carefully constructed programs that introduce new strategies of living to families with problems might result in improved childrearing and family interaction at relatively low cost.

Obviously, the transferability issue is a significant one if the family strengths research is to have important policy applications. Again, as far as we can tell, this question has been little tested or even addressed in the existing literature. In addition, there are questions of transferability across class and ethnic lines, and applicability to single-parent and other non-traditional families, which could be profitably addressed in future studies.

Abbott, Douglas A., & Meredith, William H. 1985. "Minority families: Strengths of four ethnic groups." Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Dallas, TX.

Beavers, W. Robert. 1977. Psychotherapy and growth: A family systems perspective . New York: Brunner/Mazel.

Bowman, Ted W. 1983. "Promoting family wellness: Implications and issues." In D. Mace (ed.) Prevention in family service approaches to family wellness , pp. 39-48. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Christensen, Andrew, & Arrington, Angela. 1987. "Research issues and strategies." In T. Jacob (ed.) Family interaction and psychopathology . New York: Plenum Press.

Cowan, Carolyn P., & Cowan, Philip A. 1987. "A preventative intervention for couples becoming parents." In C. F. Zachariah Boukydis (ed.) Research on support for parents and infants in the postnatal period . Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Co.

Epstein, Nathan B., Lawrence M. Baldwin, & Duane S. Bishop. 1983. "The McMaster Family Assessment Device." Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 9(2): 171-180.

Feldman, Shirley S., & Gehring, Thomas M. 1988. "Changing perceptions of family cohesion and power across adolescence." Child Development 59: 1034-1045.

Gary, Lawrence E., Lula A. Beatty, Greta L. Berry, et al. 1983. Stable black families: Final report . Washington, DC: Mental Health Research & Development Center, Institute for Urban Affairs & Research, Howard University.

Grotevant, Harold D. 1983. "The contribution of the family to the facilitation of identity formation in early adolescence." Journal of Early Adolescence 3(3): 225-237.

Hill, Robert B. 1971. The strength of black families . New York: Independent Publishers Group.

Jacob, Theodore (ed.). 1987. Family interaction and psychopathology . New York: Plenum Press.

Lewis, Jerry M. 1989. The birth of a family . New York: Brunner/Mazel.

Lewis, Jerry M. 1979. How's your family? A guide to identifying your family's strengths and weaknesses . New York: Brunner/Mazel.

Lewis, Jerry M., & John G. Looney. 1983. The long struggle:. Well-functioning working class black families . New York: Brunner/Mazel.

Moos, Rudolf H., & Moos, Bernice S. 1986. Family environment scale manual (Second Edition). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Olson, David H. 1986. Prepared statement before the House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families. In: The diversity and strength of American families . Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

Olson, David H., Hamilton I. McCubbin, Howard Barnes, et al. 1983. Families: What makes them work . Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

Olson, David H., Hamilton I. McCubbin, Howard Barnes, et al. 1982. Family inventories: Inventories used in a national survey of families across the family life cycle . St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota.

Olson, David H., Candyce S. Russell, & Douglas H. Sprenkle (eds.). 1989. Circumplex model: Svstemic assessment and treatment of families . New York: Haworth Press.

Schumm, Walter R. 1986. Prepared statement before the House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families. In: The diversity and strength of American families . Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

Schumm, Walter R. 1985. "Beyond relationship characteristics of strong families: Constructing a model of family strengths." Family Perspective 19(l): 1-9.

Schumm, Walter R., McCollum, E. E., Bugaighis, M. A., Jurich, A. P., Bollman, S. R., & Reithz, J. 1988. “Differences between Anglo and Mexican American family members on satisfaction with family life." Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 10(l): 39-53.

Skinner, Harvey A., Steinhauser, Paul D., & Santa-Barbara, Jack. 1983. "The family assessment measure." Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health 2: 91-105.

Stinnett, Nick. 1986. Prepared statement before the House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families. In: The diversity and strength of American families . Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

Stinnett, Nick, Chesser, Barbara, & DeFrain, John (eds.). 1979. Building family strengths. Blueprints for action . Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

Stinnett, Nick, & DeFrain, John. 1985. Secrets of strong families . Boston: Little, Brown & Co.

Swihart, Judson. 1988. "Characteristics of strong families." Unpublished paper, International Family Center, Logos Research Institute.

U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, 99th Congress, 2nd Session. February 25, 1986. The diversity and strength of American families . Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.

Vega, William A., Thomas Patterson, James Sallis, et al. 1986. "Cohesion and adaptability in Mexican-American and Anglo families." Journal of Marriage and the Family 48(Nov): 857-967.

Walsh, Froma. Normal family processes . 1982. New York: Guilford Press.

APPENDIX A. The Characteristics of Strong Families

W. Robert Beavers ( Psychotherapy and Growth: A Family Systems Perspective , 1977)

• Connectedness with other social systems, and open to other viewpoints, lifestyles and perceptions. A respect for differences and awareness of individual boundaries. Intimacy is attained via skillful communication.
• Solid parental coalitions and clear role definition without rigid stereotyping.
• Complementary rather than symmetrical power roles.
• An encouragement of autonomy. The family is comfortable with differences of opinion. There is an absence of invasiveness. The family has a degree of flexibility and adaptability.
• The belief that human behavior is limited and finite and that human behavior is the result of a number of variables, not one clear-cut cause.
• Family members are involved with each other. Conflict may exist between members, but not unresolvable conflict.
• Effective negotiation and task performance.

Transcendent values.

A. Billingsley, 1968. (In Gary, Lawrence, Stable Black Families: A Final Report ., 1983) (Black family strengths.)

• A set of values -- with an accompanying pattern of behavior which is consistent with those values -- and a certain degree of independence from the control of the forces affecting the lives of family members.
• Strong religious convictions and behaviors.
• Educational achievement or educational aspirations of one or more family members.
• Economic security and possession of property.
• Strong family ties.

Community centered activities (i.e., associational ties, role models, and child advocacy).

Dolores Curran. (As cited in Hearing before the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, House of Representatives, 1986)

• Communicates and listens.
• Affirms and supports one another.
• Teaches respect for others.
• Develops a sense of trust.
• Has a sense of play and humor.
• Exhibits a sense of shared responsibility.
• Teaches a sense of right and wrong.
• Has a strong sense of family in which rituals and traditions abound.
• Has a balance of interaction among members.
• Has a shared religious core.
• Respects the privacy of one another.
• Values service to others.
• Fosters family table time and conversation.
• Shares leisure time.

Admits to and seeks help with problems.

Nathan Epstein, and others. Based on the McMaster Model of Family Functioning. (in "The McMaster Family Assessment Device," Epstein, Baldwin, and Bishop, 1983)

• An ability to solve problems in a way which maintains effective family functioning.
• Communication that is clear and direct.
• Established patterns of behavior, clear and equitable assignment of family tasks, and responsible completion of assigned tasks.
• Affective responsiveness.
• Family members are interested in each other and value each other's activities and concerns. Intermediate levels of involvement with each other.

Behavioral control of family members.

Robert B. Hill. ( The Strengths of Black Families , 1971) (Black family strengths)

• Strong kinship bonds.
• Strong work orientation.
• Adaptability of family roles.
• Strong achievement orientation.

Strong religious orientation.

Jerry Lewis ( How's Your Family? A Guide to Identifying Your Family's Strengths and Weaknesses , 1979)

• Parental relationship characterized by shared power, deep levels of intimacy, intimate communication, strong bonds, shared as well as individual activities, good sexual relations, openness with feelings, and high levels of empathy.
• Power in the family is firmly in the parent's hands, but includes input from the children. There are clear differences in the roles between parent and child.
• Close-knit families who share a great deal with each other and feel strongly connected, but not at the expense of individuality.
• Communication among family members is open, clear and spontaneous.
• Early identification of problems, a lack of blaming individuals for the problem, and a negotiation and compromise approach to problem solving.
• Expressive of feelings, and empathic responses, with a general family mood that is characterized by warmth, humor, and concern for each other.
• The ability to accept and deal with change and loss.
• A basic belief that people are mostly good, rather than mostly evil. A realization that humans make mistakes, and an understanding of the complexity of human motivation.

An encouragement of both intimacy and autonomy, as well as involvement of the family in the world around them.

David H. Olson. (in Prepared Statement before the Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. House of Representatives, 1986)

• Parents have a strong and happy marriage.
• Members feel close to each other but also allow each other privacy and freedom to act independently.
• Family members are flexible, creative as a group, and able to solve problems together.
• Family members are able to listen and share both negative and positive feelings with each other.

Family members are able to cope effectively with stress.

H.A. Otto, 1975 (Otto, in Bowman, T.W., 1983)

• The ability to provide for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of a family,
• The ability to "give and take" in the area of child-rearing practices and discipline.
• The ability to communicate effectively.
• The ability to provide support, security, and encouragement.
• The ability to initiate and maintain growth-producing relationships and experiences within and without the family.
• The capacity to maintain and create constructive and responsible community relationships in the neighborhood, town, school, and so on.
• The ability to grow with and through children.
• An ability for self-help, and the ability to accept help when appropriate.
• An ability to perform family functions and roles flexibly.
• Mutual respect for the individuality of family members.
• The ability to use a crisis or a seemingly injurious experience as a means of growth.

A concern for family unity, loyalty, and intra-family cooperation.

Royce and Turner, 1980. (In Gary, Lawrence, Stable Black Families: A Final Report ., 1983) (Black family strengths.)

• Validated those identified by Robert Hill.
• Teaching children to respect themselves.
• Teaching children how to be happy.
• Stressing cooperation within the family.

Disciplining the children.

Virginia Satir. (Satir, in Bowman, T.W., 1983)

• Promotion of positive self-worth.
• Open communication system.
• Clarity as to family rules and expectations

Link to the wider society -- commitment beyond the family.

Scanzoni, 1971. (In Gary, Lawrence, Stable Black Families: A Final Report . 1983) (Black family strengths.)

• Economic and social advantages as well as employment opportunities provided by experiences in the city.
• Social status obtained from religious involvement, parental presence in the home, and the number of children.
• The ability to provide economic, social, and educational resources for children in the family.
• Role models for children in the community (i.e., school teacher, minister, etc.)
• The quality of the husband-wife relationship.

The level of interaction between parent and child.

Walter R. Schumm. (In collaboration with Judson Swihart, in Prepared Statement before the Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families, U.S. House of Representatives, 1986.)

• Time. Time spent together in a variety of supportive, enjoyable activities as opposed to being so tied up with work and children as to have no pleasant times with family members.
• Positiveness. Otherwise identified as appreciation in some models. Delivering a high level of positive reinforcement to family members, day in and day out, doing things that are positive from the other person's perspective, just for their sake, not merely as a strategy for "buying" their love, etc.
• Commitment. Being committed to building a good marriage and family, not merely staying together in terms of not getting divorced and being willing to adapt positively to change.
• Person esteem. Valuing oneself and other family members as worthy of lifelong commitments and one's support and appreciation.
• Openness. Being open to one's own needs and wants and willing to share them openly, while also being open to hearing and truly understanding the needs and wants of other family members. This is more than just having "good communication skills" but includes the desire to know oneself and be known and to know others.

Value system. A value system that supports the other five areas, often provided within the context of an intrinsic religious faith (not merely a lip service to a set of doctrines) or absorbed as a child by having been raised in such an environment.

Harvey Skinner. ("The Family Assessment Measure," 1983)

• Differentiation and performance of roles.
• Communication that is clear, direct, and sufficient and relates information essential to task accomplishment and ongoing role definition.
• Expression of affect.
• Degree and quality of family members, interest in one another.

Control of family members by processes that are characterized as constructive, consistent, and responsible.

Nick Stinnett and John DeFrain. ( Secrets of Strong Families , 1985)

• Commitment.

Time together.

• Appreciation.
• Coping with crisis.
• Spiritual wellness.

Communication.

Judson Swihart. (In an unpublished review of the literature, identifies the following as the characteristics of strong families most frequently mentioned by researchers.)

• Communication
• Encouragement of individual family members.
• Commitment to family.
• Religious orientation.
• Social connectedness.
• Ability to adapt.
• Expressing appreciation.
• Clear roles.

APPENDIX B. Proposed Model of Family Strengths

10 Qualities of a Good Family

Categories Relationships

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If you were not lucky enough to grow up with a good family, you may be wondering what you can do to change the patterns in your family and build a good family that supports, uplifts, and cheers each other along.

These 10 qualities of a good family are a great place to start in helping to build your family into one you can be proud of and to teach your children good characteristics of a person .

A good family loves each other unconditionally.

No love isn’t perfect and this doesn’t mean you will always get along, but at the end of the day, what matters is that you love each other and will do anything for each other.

The love you demonstrate with your partner and your children will dictate how your children behave with each other and their future families.

When you are building your family, you need to set rules and expectations for everyone.

These rules need to be fair to everyone.

When setting rules, make sure they are reasonable and fitting to the age and abilities of each child. Set fair consequences that like the rules are fitting by the age and capabilities of each person.

Some of my favorite parenting resources are Boundaries With Kids , which will help you set strong boundaries from a Christian perspective, and Parenting With Love and Logic , which teaches how to use natural consequences to discipline your children.

Respect, both for the parents and for the children, is vital to a healthy family relationship.

While we often feel that respect should be given to elders and that young people should earn it, this can lead to disrespect on both sides.

When you show respect for your child from the start, they are more likely to behave in a way deserving of that respect and to give you respect in return.

A good family has a balanced and mutual respect between its members.

It is your job as the parents to provide guidance for your children to help them grow and thrive.

As your children grow older, they will begin to offer guidance to younger siblings that look up to them. Your home becomes the place that your family can feel safe enough to go when they need a push in the right direction.

When providing guidance for your child, avoid nagging or using guilt or shame to force your child to follow your guidance.

Instead, offer guidance and support and offer a listening ear and empathy when your child decides to learn the hard way (and they will, as this is part of their personal growth).

This is such a great lesson that every child needs to learn, and they’re in a better position to learn while they’re younger.

Check out Parenting With Love and Logic for examples and techniques to show your child guidance through tough lessons.

Communication

Without communication, families can not grow and thrive.

Spending time with your family to work on effective communication skills and taking the time to talk to your child about things that may not be the most comfortable can do a long way in helping build a strong and resilient family.

Trust is vital to a healthy family dynamic. Teach your child to be worthy of your trust and that trustworthiness is one of the most valuable traits they can have.

Showing others that you can be trusted and learning to trust your family members is essential to having a good family dynamic.

Good families support each other through thick and thin. This can range from simply giving a hand up when one person falls on hard times or as simple as showing up to cheer each other on for big events and such.

When each member of the family feels supported, they are more likely to be willing to support everyone else.

Your family home becomes a supportive space where your kids can feel comfortable talking about their dreams and goals in life.

One of my favorite resources to learn exactly how to create the supportive environment your kids need is the Parenting Manual 101 course.

Learn more about the course here:

When you are raising your children, you want to raise them with empathy and to help teach them to have empathy for others.

When we take the time to show our children what it means to step into someone else’s shoes and take a look at the situation with understanding and kindness, we show our children .

Adaptability

Life is full of twists and turns. When things go wrong or change hits, it is the families that are the most adaptable and resistant that manage to hold it all together.

Demonstrate and encourage adaptability for your family.

When things do not go as planned, be ready with a backup plan to help make the most of the situation. At the same time, you’ll teach your family that a change of plans is not the end of the world.

Quality time

To build quality relationships with your family, you need to take time to spend truly quality time with each other.

In today’s world, everyone is so busy that it can be hard to achieve quality family time.

Make a point to plan activities with your kids, including activities like family game nights, movies, hiking trips, and other activities that are planned ahead so that everyone has time to enjoy together.

You can even use this fun conversation starters game at dinner to help get everyone chatting.

Remember that no one is perfect and no family will ever be perfect. But with some real effort you can build a strong, happy, and successful family.

These are just a few of the common qualities you will find in a good family.

• The Ideal Family [Definition &…
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The Ideal Family [Definition & Characteristics]

An ideal family can be defined as a unit that provides love, support, and stability to its members. It is a family where each member feels valued, respected, and understood. An ideal family fosters a positive environment for growth, learning, and emotional well-being. Here are some characteristics and qualities that contribute to an ideal family:

1. Communication:  An ideal family emphasizes open and effective communication. Family members are encouraged to express their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. Healthy communication helps in resolving conflicts, building strong relationships, and promoting emotional well-being.

2. Love and Support:  Love and support are the foundation of an ideal family. Family members show unconditional love, care, and support to one another. They celebrate each other’s successes, provide comfort in times of need, and offer a safe space to express oneself.

3. Trust and Respect:  Trust and respect are essential aspects of an ideal family. Family members trust and respect each other’s boundaries, privacy, and individuality. There is mutual respect for each other’s opinions, choices, and decisions.

4. Quality Time:  An ideal family values spending quality time together. They engage in activities that promote bonding, such as family meals, game nights, outings, and vacations. Quality time helps in building strong relationships and creating lasting memories.

5. Shared Values and Goals:  An ideal family has shared values and goals. They have a common purpose and work together towards achieving it. Shared values and goals create a sense of unity, purpose, and direction for the family.

6. Conflict Resolution:  In an ideal family, conflicts are addressed and resolved in a healthy and constructive manner. Family members practice active listening, empathy, and compromise when resolving conflicts. This promotes understanding, strengthens relationships, and teaches valuable conflict resolution skills.

Importance of having a strong family unit

Having a strong family unit is crucial for the overall well-being and development of its members. Here are some reasons why a strong family unit is important:

1. Emotional Support:  A strong family unit provides emotional support to its members. Family members can rely on each other for love, understanding, and encouragement during challenging times.

2. Sense of Belonging:  Being part of a strong family unit gives individuals a sense of belonging and identity. It provides a foundation of love, acceptance, and security.

3. Life Skills and Values:  A strong family unit nurtures the development of essential life skills and values. It teaches important values such as respect, empathy, responsibility, and resilience.

4. Stability and Security:  An ideal family unit provides stability and security to its members. It creates a safe and supportive environment where individuals can thrive and grow.

5. Positive Role Models:  Within a strong family unit, individuals have access to positive role models. Family members can learn from each other’s strengths, achievements, and experiences.

6. Stronger Community:  A strong family unit contributes to a stronger community. When families are strong, they positively impact society by raising responsible, caring, and productive individuals.

In conclusion, an ideal family is characterized by love, support, communication, trust, and shared values. Having a strong family unit provides emotional support, a sense of belonging, stability, and fosters the development of important life skills and values. It is an essential foundation for the overall well-being and success of its members.

Communication and Support

Effective communication within a family.

One of the key elements of an ideal family is effective communication. Good communication within a family helps to foster healthy relationships and resolve conflicts in a constructive manner. Here are some tips for promoting effective communication within your family:

1. Active listening:  Take the time to listen attentively to each family member without interrupting. Show genuine interest and empathy in their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This will help create an open and supportive environment where everyone feels valued and heard.

2. Open and honest dialogue:  Encourage open and honest communication, where family members feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and concerns. Foster an environment where differing opinions can be shared without fear of judgment or criticism.

3. Regular family meetings:  Set aside designated times for family meetings to discuss important matters and check in with each other. This can be a platform for sharing updates, resolving conflicts, and making decisions as a family.

4. Non-verbal communication:  Pay attention to non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. These can often convey underlying emotions and can help you better understand and respond to your family members.

Providing emotional and practical support to family members

In an ideal family, members provide both emotional and practical support to one another. This support can strengthen family bonds and cultivate a sense of security and well-being. Here are some ways to provide support within your family:

1. Emotional support:  Be there for your family members when they are going through tough times. Offer a listening ear, words of encouragement, and empathy. Show that you care and are there to support them unconditionally.

2. Practical support:  Help out with practical tasks and responsibilities within the family, such as household chores, childcare, or running errands. By sharing the workload, you show your willingness to contribute and alleviate the burden on others.

3. Respect individuality:  Recognize and celebrate the unique talents, interests, and goals of each family member. Encourage them to pursue their passions and provide support and encouragement along the way.

4. Quality time together:  Make an effort to spend quality time together as a family. This can be through shared activities, family outings, or simply enjoying meals together. Creating these bonding moments strengthens relationships and fosters a sense of unity.

By promoting effective communication and providing support within your family, you can contribute to creating an ideal family dynamic that nurtures and empowers each member.

Quality Time and Bonding Activities

The significance of spending quality time together.

Spending quality time together as a family is crucial for fostering strong relationships and creating cherished memories. It provides an opportunity for family members to connect on a deeper level and strengthen their bond. Here are some reasons why spending quality time together is essential:

• Building stronger relationships:  By spending quality time together, families can develop deeper relationships and understanding of each other. It allows family members to communicate, share experiences, and create a sense of belonging.
• Creating lifelong memories:  Quality time spent with the family often leads to the creation of special memories that can be cherished for years to come. Whether it’s a family vacation, game night, or simply having dinner together, these shared experiences create lasting bonds and positive associations.
• Improving communication:  Regular quality time facilitates better communication among family members. It provides an environment where everyone can express themselves, share their thoughts and feelings, and listen to one another. This leads to stronger connections and understanding within the family unit.
• Enhancing problem-solving skills:  When families spend quality time together, they have the opportunity to face challenges together and find solutions as a team. This promotes problem-solving skills and teaches children how to work through difficulties in a supportive and collaborative manner.
• Promoting emotional well-being:  Quality time spent with loved ones has been shown to increase happiness and overall emotional well-being. It provides a sense of security, support, and love, which can boost self-esteem and mental health.

Engaging in bonding activities as a family

Engaging in bonding activities as a family is an excellent way to spend quality time together and strengthen family ties. Here are some ideas for bonding activities:

• Family game nights:  Set aside a night each week for playing board games, card games, or video games together as a family. It’s a fun and interactive way to bond and create memories.
• Outdoor adventures:  Plan outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, or going on a bike ride. Exploring nature together allows for quality time while enjoying the great outdoors.
• Cooking or baking:  Involve the whole family in the kitchen and prepare meals or bake treats together. It not only promotes teamwork but also provides an opportunity to learn new recipes and culinary skills.
• Arts and crafts:  Engage in creative activities such as painting, drawing, or crafting. This allows family members to express themselves artistically and encourages collaboration.
• Movie nights:  Choose a movie that the whole family can enjoy and create a cozy atmosphere for a movie night at home. Don’t forget the popcorn!
• Volunteer together:  Find a local charity or community service project and volunteer as a family. It’s a great way to give back to the community and teach children the importance of helping others.

Remember, the key is to find activities that everyone in the family enjoys and to prioritize spending quality time together on a regular basis. These bonding activities will strengthen your family’s relationships and create lasting memories.

Mutual Respect and Understanding

Creating an environment of respect and understanding.

One of the key ingredients for an ideal family is the presence of mutual respect and understanding among its members. This means treating each other with kindness, empathy, and appreciation, regardless of age or position within the family. Here are some ways to create an environment of respect and understanding:

• Communication: Encourage open and honest communication within the family. Create a safe space where everyone feels comfortable expressing their thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
• Active Listening: Practice active listening skills, where each family member actively pays attention to and understands what others are saying. This helps foster empathy and creates a sense of being heard and validated.
• Empathy: Teach and model empathy within the family. Encourage family members to put themselves in each other’s shoes and understand each other’s perspectives.
• Conflict Resolution: Teach healthy conflict resolution skills, such as compromise, negotiation, and finding win-win solutions. Help family members understand that disagreements are natural and can be resolved peacefully.

Promoting harmony and unity within the family

To promote harmony and unity within the family, it is essential to foster a sense of belonging and togetherness. Here are some ways to achieve this:

• Quality Time: Make it a priority to spend quality time together as a family. This can include engaging in shared activities, such as family game nights, movie nights, or outdoor adventures.
• Family Traditions: Establish and maintain family traditions that create a sense of identity and belonging. This can include celebrating holidays, birthdays, or special occasions in unique and meaningful ways.
• Support and Encouragement: Offer support and encouragement to each other’s goals, dreams, and interests. Create an atmosphere where achievements are celebrated, and failures are viewed as learning opportunities.
• Shared Responsibilities: Foster a sense of shared responsibilities within the family. Encourage each family member to contribute to household chores, decision-making, and problem-solving. This helps promote a sense of fairness and unity.

By focusing on mutual respect and understanding, as well as fostering harmony and unity, families can build strong and healthy relationships that stand the test of time.

Healthy Relationships and Conflict Resolution

Building healthy relationships among family members.

Building healthy relationships among family members is crucial for creating a harmonious and supportive family environment. Here are some effective strategies for building healthy relationships:

• Communication: Open and honest communication is key to building healthy relationships. Encourage each family member to express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns in a respectful manner. Active listening and empathy are important aspects of effective communication.
• Quality Time: Spending quality time together as a family strengthens the bond between family members. Plan regular family activities or outings where everyone can participate and enjoy each other’s company.
• Respect and Understanding: Treat each family member with respect and understanding. Value their opinions and perspectives, even if they differ from your own. Encourage open-mindedness and acceptance of each other’s differences.
• Trust and Support: Trust and support are the foundation of healthy relationships. Create an environment where family members feel safe and supported. Trusting each other and offering support during challenging times helps to foster stronger bonds.
• Boundaries: Establishing and respecting boundaries is important in any relationship, including within a family. Encourage each family member to communicate their boundaries and respect them.

Effective strategies for resolving conflicts peacefully

Conflict is a normal part of family life, but it’s essential to resolve conflicts peacefully to maintain a healthy family dynamic. Here are some effective strategies for resolving conflicts:

• Communication and Active Listening: Encourage open and honest communication when conflicts arise. Each family member should have a chance to express their thoughts and feelings, while others practice active listening.
• Empathy and Understanding: Try to see the situation from the perspective of each family member involved in the conflict. Empathy and understanding can help diffuse tensions and find common ground.
• Compromise and Collaboration: Encourage family members to find solutions through compromise and collaboration. Involve everyone in the decision-making process to create a sense of ownership and fairness.
• Stay Calm and Use “I” Statements: During conflicts, it’s important to stay calm and avoid becoming defensive or aggressive. Use “I” statements to express how the conflict has affected you personally, rather than blaming or criticizing others.
• Seek Mediation or Professional Help: If conflicts persist or become unmanageable, consider seeking mediation or professional help. A neutral third party can facilitate communication and provide guidance in resolving conflicts.

By building healthy relationships and adopting effective conflict resolution strategies, families can create a supportive and harmonious environment that promotes happiness and well-being for all members.

Shared Responsibilities and Teamwork

Importance of shared responsibilities and teamwork.

In an ideal family, shared responsibilities and teamwork play a crucial role in maintaining harmony and balance. When every family member is involved in contributing and participating, it not only lightens the burden on one person but also fosters a sense of belonging and togetherness. Here are some reasons why shared responsibilities and teamwork are essential:

1. Building Strong Bonds:  When each member actively participates in family responsibilities, it strengthens the bond between family members. It helps everyone feel valued and appreciated, creating a positive atmosphere within the family.

2. Teaching Life Skills:  By involving children in age-appropriate tasks, such as household chores or decision-making, parents can teach them important life skills. This allows children to develop a sense of responsibility, accountability, and self-reliance.

3. Time Management:  When responsibilities are shared, it helps distribute the workload evenly, ensuring that no one person is overwhelmed. It also teaches family members the importance of managing their time effectively and prioritizing tasks.

4. Instilling a Sense of Ownership:  Sharing responsibilities helps instill a sense of ownership and pride in the family. When everyone takes ownership of their tasks, it creates a positive and productive environment where everyone feels invested in the family’s success.

Encouraging family members to contribute and participate

Encouraging family members to contribute and participate is essential for a well-functioning family. Here are some strategies to foster a culture of shared responsibilities and teamwork:

• Open Communication:  Encourage open and honest communication within the family. Allow family members to express their thoughts and ideas, and listen to their input when discussing responsibilities and tasks.

• Age-Appropriate Tasks:  Assign age-appropriate tasks to each family member. This ensures that everyone feels capable and valued in contributing to the family’s well-being.

• Lead by Example:  Parents should lead by example and actively participate in family responsibilities. When children see their parents engaging and taking pride in their tasks, they are more likely to follow suit.

• Rotate Responsibilities:  Rotate responsibilities among family members to prevent any one person from feeling overwhelmed or burdened. This also helps in developing a sense of adaptability and flexibility among family members.

• Express Appreciation:  Recognize and appreciate the efforts of each family member. Show gratitude and acknowledge their contributions regularly. This fosters a positive environment and reinforces the importance of shared responsibilities.

Encouraging shared responsibilities and teamwork in an ideal family allows for a more harmonious and balanced environment. It teaches important life skills, strengthens relationships, and creates a sense of unity and belonging within the family.

Values and Morals

Instilling positive values and morals in family members.

Instilling positive values and morals in family members is an essential aspect of building a strong and harmonious family. When children grow up with a set of moral values, they are more likely to make ethical decisions and contribute positively to society. Here are some ways to instill positive values and morals in family members:

1. Lead by example:  Parents should model the behavior they want to see in their children. By being honest, respectful, and compassionate, parents can teach their children the importance of these values.

2. Communication:  Regular communication within the family is crucial for discussing and reinforcing values. Parents can engage their children in conversations about moral dilemmas and encourage them to think critically about their choices.

3. Engage in community service:  Volunteering as a family can teach children the value of helping others and making a positive impact in their community. It can also foster empathy and gratitude.

4. Set clear expectations:  Parents should establish clear expectations and boundaries regarding behavior and values. Consistency is key in reinforcing these expectations.

Teaching moral and ethical principles

Teaching moral and ethical principles is an ongoing process that starts from a young age and continues throughout a person’s life. Here are some effective strategies for teaching moral and ethical principles:

1. Storytelling:  Storytelling is a powerful tool for teaching moral and ethical principles. Through stories, children can learn about right and wrong, empathy, and the consequences of their actions.

2. Encourage critical thinking:  Encouraging children to think critically about ethical dilemmas and consider different perspectives helps them develop a strong moral compass.

3. Discuss real-life scenarios:  Engage children in discussions about real-life scenarios that involve moral and ethical dilemmas. Encourage them to analyze the situation, consider the consequences of different choices, and express their opinions.

4. Use role models:  Introduce children to positive role models who exemplify the values and principles you want to instill. This could include historical figures, community leaders, or even family members.

By instilling positive values and teaching moral and ethical principles, families can create a strong foundation for their members to navigate the complexities of life and make responsible decisions.

Celebrating Traditions and Creating Memories

The role of traditions in strengthening family bonds.

Traditions play a vital role in strengthening family bonds and creating a sense of unity and belonging. These cherished customs and rituals are passed down from generation to generation, contributing to the unique identity of a family. Here’s why traditions are important for family life:

1. Creating a Sense of Belonging:  Traditions provide a shared history and cultural heritage, connecting family members across time and generations. This sense of belonging creates a strong foundation for family relationships.

2. Fostering Communication and Connection:  The shared experiences and activities involved in traditions provide opportunities for family members to communicate, connect, and strengthen their relationships. Whether it’s gathering for a holiday meal or participating in a yearly event, traditions encourage open dialogue and create lasting memories.

3. Teaching Values and Life Lessons:  Traditions often carry deep meanings and reflect family values and beliefs. They provide an opportunity for parents to instill important life lessons and values in their children, such as gratitude, generosity, and respect.

4. Providing Stability and Comfort:  In a rapidly changing world, traditions provide a sense of stability, familiarity, and comfort for family members. They create a sense of predictability and continuity, offering a safe haven amidst the uncertainties of life.

Creating lasting memories through shared experiences

Shared experiences are at the heart of creating lasting memories for families. These memories become the threads that weave together the fabric of family life and strengthen bonds. Here are some ways to create lasting memories through shared experiences:

1. Family Vacations:  Plan vacations and family trips that offer opportunities for bonding and shared adventures. Exploring new places together and experiencing new cultures can create lifelong memories.

2. Family Game Nights:  Set aside regular game nights where the whole family can come together and play board games, card games, or video games. These fun-filled evenings create opportunities for laughter and friendly competition.

3. Cooking and Baking Together:  Involve everyone in the family in meal preparation and cooking activities. This not only teaches important life skills but also provides a chance to bond over shared recipes and culinary traditions.

4. Celebrating Milestones:  Celebrate important milestones and achievements as a family. Whether it’s a birthday, graduation, or anniversary, these special occasions create memories that will be cherished for years to come.

5. Family Traditions:  Establish and maintain family traditions that can be repeated year after year. Whether it’s a special holiday celebration, a yearly camping trip, or a weekly movie night, these traditions create a sense of anticipation and provide opportunities for shared experiences.

By celebrating traditions and creating lasting memories through shared experiences, families can strengthen their bonds and create a legacy that will be passed down through generations.

Flexibility and Adaptability

Being flexible and adaptable to changes and challenges.

Being a family is not always easy, and it requires the ability to be flexible and adaptable to changes and challenges that come your way. Here are some ways that families can cultivate flexibility and adaptability:

1. Embrace change:  Families that are more flexible and adaptable are open to change and see it as an opportunity for growth. Embrace new experiences, routines, and dynamics, and be willing to adapt your plans and expectations as needed.

2. Communication is key:  Maintain open and honest communication within the family. Discuss any changes or challenges that arise and work together to find solutions. Encourage all family members to express their thoughts and feelings, fostering a sense of flexibility and adaptability.

3. Have a positive attitude:  A positive attitude can go a long way in fostering flexibility and adaptability. Instead of dwelling on setbacks or changes, focus on finding creative solutions and making the best of the situation. Encourage your family members to approach challenges with a can-do mindset.

Adjusting to individual growth and development

Families consist of individuals who are constantly growing and developing. As a family, it is important to adapt to these changes and support each other’s personal growth. Here are some ways to adjust to individual growth and development:

1. Encourage individuality:  Recognize and celebrate each family member’s unique qualities and interests. Encourage individuality and support personal goals and ambitions. Allow space for self-expression and development.

2. Foster a supportive environment:  Create an environment where family members feel supported and encouraged to pursue their passions and goals. Be open to new ideas and be willing to adjust family dynamics to accommodate individual growth.

3. Emphasize communication and understanding:  Regularly communicate with each family member to understand their needs, goals, and aspirations. Foster a culture of support and understanding, where family members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings.

By being flexible and adaptable to changes and challenges and adjusting to individual growth and development, families can strengthen their bond and create a nurturing and supportive environment for each member to thrive.

Supportive Parenting and Nurturing Environment

The role of parents in providing a nurturing environment.

Parents play a crucial role in shaping the overall development and well-being of their children. Creating a nurturing environment is essential for children to thrive and reach their full potential. Here are some ways parents can provide a nurturing environment for their children:

1. Emotional Support:  Parents should be emotionally available for their children, providing a safe space for them to express their feelings and emotions. This helps children develop a strong sense of self-worth and emotional resilience.

2. Unconditional Love:  Parents should demonstrate unconditional love and acceptance towards their children, regardless of their achievements or behavior. This creates a strong bond of trust and security between parents and children.

3. Positive Reinforcement:  Encouraging and praising children’s efforts and achievements helps boost their self-confidence and motivation. Parents should focus on their children’s strengths and celebrate their successes.

4. Setting Boundaries:  Establishing clear and consistent boundaries helps children understand expectations and develop self-discipline. This creates a sense of structure and security within the family.

5. Quality Time:  Spending quality time with children is crucial for building strong relationships and fostering a sense of belonging. This can include shared activities, such as playing games, reading together, or having meaningful conversations.

Supportive parenting techniques and approaches

Supportive parenting involves using effective techniques and approaches that promote children’s well-being and development. Here are some supportive parenting techniques:

• Active Listening:  Taking the time to listen actively to children’s thoughts and concerns can help them feel seen, heard, and understood.

• Positive Communication:  Using positive language and communication techniques, such as praise, encouragement, and problem-solving discussions, fosters open and healthy communication within the family.

• Parental Modeling:  Parents should strive to be positive role models for their children by demonstrating desired behaviors, such as empathy, respect, and self-control.

• Supportive Discipline:  Discipline should focus on teaching and guiding rather than punishment. This includes setting clear expectations, using natural consequences, and providing opportunities for learning and growth.

• Collaborative Decision-Making:  Involving children in decision-making processes and respecting their opinions and choices helps develop their decision-making skills and autonomy.

By adopting these supportive parenting techniques and approaches, parents can create a nurturing environment that promotes their children’s overall well-being and fosters healthy development.

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Essay on My Family

List of essays on my family, essay on my family – short essay for kids in english (essay 1 – 250 words), essay on my family – for children (essay 2 – 300 words), essay on my family – paragraph (essay 3 – 400 words), essay on my family –topics (essay 4 – 500 words), essay on my family (essay 5 – 500 words), essay on my family – why i love my family (essay 6 – 500 words), essay on my family – for school students (class 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 standard) (essay 7 – 500 words), essay on my family (essay 8 – 750 words), essay on my family – long essay (essay 9 – 1000 words).

A family is one of the greatest gift god has given to all living creatures on the earth including humans. It is a privilege to have a happy family as not everyone in the world has it.

The joy of living with your parents, fighting with your siblings over petty can just make you smile the moment you think of it. In order to inculcate the values of a family in the students, we have composed some short essays for students.

These essays are suited for students of all ages and classes. Not only these essays shall give an insight on how a family should be but shall also enrich the students with the moral values of a family.

Audience: The below given essays are exclusively written for kids, children and school students.

Family is important to every one of us and we all love our family. Wherever we go in this world and whatever we may achieve, our heart and soul will always be in our home because it is where our beautiful family is. Nothing in this world can be stronger than the bonding of the blood . The members of the same family may have differences of opinions, may quarrel often for silly things but in spite of all these it is our family that supports us during our ups and downs.

As the saying goes, “ Family is the best thing you could ever wish for. They are there for you during the ups and downs and love you no matter what”.

Contrary to this saying, we cannot choose our family as we choose our friends. But I can say that I’m blessed with a wonderful family. My family is very small with four members – my mother, my father, my elder sister and me. My family is a middle class family and my father is officially the bread winner of our family. My mother supports him financially by taking tuitions for school children.

We do not have much money or wealth but what my family has in abundance is love for each other which cannot be replaced by anything else in this world. My father and my mother are the role models to my sister and me. They struggle a lot to give us a better life. More than anything they have taught us discipline and morals of life which is helping us to lead our lives in a righteous path even today.

I cannot ask anything more to God since he has already showered me with my family which I treasure the most every second and will safeguard even in the future.

The family is a valuable god gift which plays a most crucial role in every individual’s life. I love my family very much because all of my family members stand in my good as well as bad times. From moral teachings to love and support, my family has always helped me without any demand. There is no doubt that we experience our biggest triumphs when we really connect to them.

My family is like a strong pillar for me, on which I can rely blindly anytime I require support. From my family, I have learned the social graces of loyalty & cooperation.

My family consists of my grandfather, my grandmother, my mother, my father, two young sisters and myself. My grandparents are the pillars of my family and my grandfather is the head of my family. He is the one whose decision relating to any matter is final and all of us do respect it.

Right from my childhood, my family members have prepared me for the challenges that I’ll face in the years ahead. In addition to this, all of my family members help and serve each other at times of need. These qualities that I have learnt from my family has helped me to shape my adult life in a right manner.

I am really very attached to my grandfather. He holds an excellent life experience because he has already faced so many ups and downs. My Grandfather has helped me to build my perception & vision towards society.

My family has always been there to motivate and encourage me to overcome all difficulties in life and achieve success. The role of every member in my family is unique and important in their own way. I thank God that I have grown up in a family full of love and discipline. My family values will definitely help me in becoming a better person.

A person without family and its love never becomes completely happy in his/her life. I am complete and happy with my family that includes five members. My family is a group of five including me, father, mother, brother, and sister. Family bonding is a unique type of love that gives you every lesson needed to live a harmonious life.

Growing under the supervision of a caring and loving family will increase our social values and overall well-being. Each member of my family carries out equal responsibility in sculpting the strong bonding needed for a better future and develop moral importance in each other.

My father owns a successful business of office stationery store. He uses the money to cover all our expenses and give a better lifestyle to the family. He works hard day and night to get us better education, food, home, etc. He hides all his tiredness when he comes home after a long day to spend quality time with us.

My mother is a talented homemaker who also does a part-time tailoring at home. She does all her duties with at most interest, from taking care of us to all the household chores and finds time to pursue her passion as well. She is a multi-tasker and does all the tasks from helping us in our studies to preparing delicious healthy foods to sculpt us into a better human being.

My brother is an engineering graduate and does a job in a well-known company. He is my best well-wisher and helps me in all ups and downs. My sister is also an engineering graduate and an employee in an IT company. She always finds time to help me with all my difficulties and she is my secret keeper too.

My family is a lifeline to whom I can run to, whatever may be the situation I am facing. My family guides me to be a good person and help me in nurturing good values. We, humans, are animals that live together spreading love and care for each other, and this togetherness is called family. The absence of such a divine bonding make us equal to animals.

Family value and growing in such a caring surrounding helps me to pass all the struggles and hardships that I face in my daily life. Whatever be the situation we are facing, our family will never leave us alone. My family is a blessing for me and I value everyone in my family with equal respect and love.

Most of the people in the world are blessed with having a family. A family, with whom you can share all your joys and sorrows, who is there to guide you through your growing years, who stands by you in the toughest of the situations. I too am blessed to have such a family.

My family is one the most bizarre family in the world. We are four people, my mother, my father, my younger brother and me. While my father is the one who does work for a living, it is my mother who is the boss of the house. My father is a humble person. He is an officer in a government department. My mother is a housewife. It is our mother who takes care of our studies as our father is often busy with his official assignments and even travels for days together. We just miss him when he is not at home.

He never scolds us. But, our mother is just the opposite. She wants us to remain disciplined and we often get scolded by her. However, our father comes to our rescue most of the times. My brother, still in school is the one with whom I love to spend my time the most. Not because I love to play with him, but because, being the elder sister, I enjoy instructing him and showing him who is more powerful at home. He, at a time, seems so helpless when our mother says to obey his sister. I just love that moment. But not all days are the same. I hate having to study all along while he gets to play more than me.

The Atmosphere in my Family:

We largely have a peaceful atmosphere at home. After school, our time is spent on studying, playing and watching television, which of course our mother does not like. Unlike other couples, my mother and father seldom have a fight. In fact, as soon we see an argument brewing up, one of them just withdraws and it is just rare to see a heated conversation between them. This is what I like the most about them as I feel that my parents are so cool. It is only me and brother who love to fight with each other.

However, we know that behind those fights, it is actually our love for each other which binds us together. I just enjoy being at home spending time with my parents and my brother. I just feel how bad it would be when tomorrow I and my brother shall move on for our professional lives and we shall not be able to spend much time together. However, it is the memories of today which shall be with me forever and will bring a smile on my face anytime when I feel low.

The Importance of a Family:

A family is said to be the first school of a child. It is from here you start to learn how to speak, walk and interact with the world. It is important to value the importance of a family in one’s life. At times, people feel that they are grown-ups and that their parent’s advice does not matter anymore, but that is not true. It is the elders of the family who at any given of time would know the world better than us and we should all respect our family members and love our siblings as well. It is the family who builds our character and we should feel fortunate to have a family around us.

Introduction

My family values are what I take so dear to my heart because they have made me what I am today and I plan on passing these great values to my children in future. Every family has those things, acts and values that they hold in high esteem and they cherish so much. These vales have become a part of them: most times, it is what distinguishes the traits in each family and in some ways it makes or mars the future of the family members. Same applies to my family, we have some set values that has become a part of us and it has made my life a lot better because I have become a better person who is not only valuable to himself but also to the society at large. I will be sharing some of these values with you.

My Family Values:

Some of my family values include:

1. Honesty:

This is a principle that is highly protected in my family. My dad has this saying that, “honesty is the best policy.” Ever since I was little, my family has taught me how to be honest and the benefits that lie within. Sometimes, my parents even test us in ways we were not expecting and a reward is given to the person that comes out honest. This is one of my family values that I cherish so much and I am proud that it is what my family hold in high esteem.

2. Kindness to Others:

This is not a common trait to all. My mom has this belief that if the world and everybody in it shows love and kindness to one another, there will be no hatred and wars will be eradicated. This is a family value that we cherish so much. I learnt to show love to everybody. Even when we did not have much, my parents will still give to those who are needy. My dad says that the world is like a river, we would eventually flow into one another later and you do not know the future, the person you helped today might eventually be of help to you tomorrow.

3. Education:

This is a value that has been passed from generation to generation in my family. My dad would say that education is the best legacy you can give to a child. My family does everything in their capacity for you to get a sound and benefitting education. The acquisition of knowledge is also quite important. All of us try to gain more and more knowledge because we all have a family slogan that says “knowledge is power and that power makes me a hero.”

4. Dress and Appearance:

This is a religious value we cherish in my family. My dad would say that you are addressed the way you dress. I do not want to be address wrongly and give out a wrong impression. So, our appearance really matter a lot to us and the way we dress.

Conclusion:

Every family has one thing or the other that they hold in high esteem and tend to pass on from generation to generation. This is what makes a family a united sect not because we are related by blood but because of we share the same values.

Introduction:

Why I love my family is a question that has been floating through my mind for a very long time because no matter how hard I try to pin out a reason why I love them, I just can’t find one. This can be due to fact that they mean the whole world to me and I will do anything for them. I love my family a lot and I would like to share some of the reasons why I love my family and will never trade them for anything.

Why I Love My Family:

I have a family that consists of 6 people: my father, my mother and four children which includes me. For you to understand why I love my family I will tell you a little about each of them and why I love them so much.

My father is the best father in the world: well, that’s what I say. He is a business manager. I look up to my father a lot because I will like to take a lot of his behaviours and make it mine. He taught me to be contented with whatever I have. We did not have much when I was growing up; my dad lost his job and still did not allow anything of the pressure change how he behaved to us at home. He is caring, gentle, accommodating and disciplined.

My mum is the best cook in the world. I do not know where I would be today without my mum. I owe her a lot. She is a teacher by profession and this fascinates me a lot because not only is she inculcating knowledge in the young minds of tomorrow, she is also building the future of our society at large. I want to be like my mum. I remember those times when she had to sacrifice when the most precious of her things just to make me happy. She is loving, caring, understanding, accommodating. In fact, she is everything you can ever wish for in a mother.

My elder sisters are the best. Although they can be frustrating sometimes but that is mostly because of my stubbornness. They pretend they do not really care but deep inside they do. The things they do even subconsciously say otherwise. I remember a day in elementary school, I was being bullied a boy in class. On this particular day, he hit me. Unknowing to me, my sister heard about it and she beat the boy and made him apologise to me, I felt so happy that day because I had someone who had my back.

My brother is one of the best gifts I have received. He is the last child and this gives him an opportunity to be annoying if you know what I mean. He is joyful and always ready to heed correction. There was this day, I heard him bragging to his friends about how awesome I am, and I was the happiest that day.

We all have one reason or the other on why we love our family. I love mine because they are the best gift I could ever ask for and the fact that they have been there for me through the good, bad and funny times.

Importance of family is something that is greatly overlooked and underrated in the world we live in today. The definition that the family had about one hundred years before now was very clear. Back then, a family was believed to be a unit that consisted of the father that was in charge of the finances of the family, a mother whose primary duty was to look after the home and take care of the children and then there were the children. Largely based on the region you are from, a family can also include members of the extended family like aunts, uncles and grandparents. This type of family system is referred to as joint family.

Family Importance:

A family that is important is one that is very strong. If a family is going to be very strong, there is a need for the bond between them to be very strong. Bonds that help in keeping the members of a family with each other are relationships. If there are very strong relationships among all the members of a family, there is going to be stronger commitment between all of them and the family as a unit will be very important.

Better communication is also a result of family relationships that are very strong. If all the family members can take time out to talk and know each other well, the bond between them is bound to be very strong. Even if the conversations are about big things or small things, it does not really matter. The most important thing is that all family members stay connected to one another. It is very important that they all list to each other and understand every member.

How to make Family Bonds Very Strong:

We have various things that can help our family bond to improve.

A few of them include:

1. Love: love is the most important thing we need for our bonds as a family to improve. When we love the members in our family, we will also be able to know all about privacy, intimacy, caring, belonging and sharing. When there is love in a family, the family will prosper.

2. Loyalty: loyalty is something that comes as a result of love. Family members should stay devoted to each other. It is important that we are able to count on our family to have our back anytime we are facing problems.

The importance of family can never be overstated even though we live in a different time now and our attitudes to relationships, marriage and what a family should be has changed. The family is something that we need to help share our problems and be there for us anytime we have issues. A lot of the things that were not acceptable in the past and we now see as normal. Even with all the changes that the society has effected on our family system, the family still remains the major foundation of our society and this will remain the same.

My family is the best gift I have got. A family can be simply said to mean a social group of different people in our society that includes one or more parents and also their children. In a family, every member of the family commits to other members of the family in a mutual relationship. A family is a very important unit and the smallest unit in the society. A family whether a big one or a small one is of very great importance and use to all of its members and is believed to be the unit of our society that is strongest because the society is formed from the coming together and culmination of various families.

In many cultures, the family serves a child’s first school where the child learns all about their traditions and cultures more importantly learn about all the rudimentary values in life. A family is very essential in the teaching of healthy habits and good manners to all the members of the family. It gives the members of the family the opportunity to become people with better character in our society. I feel very lucky to be born into a small and lovely family; I learnt a lot of things from my family.

I am from a middle class and average family with six members (my father, my mother, my grandmother, my grandfather, my younger brother and me). My grandfather is the head of the family and we all respect and listen to him. He is really wise and tries to advise each and every one of us using his many life experiences. He has been involved in many interesting and adventurous activities that he tells me about all the time. Most of the time, he has the final say on all of our family issues and he does his best to make all his decisions impartial.

Any time we are eating today as a family, he sits at the top of the table; we all have designated seats at the dining table. When my brother and I are available, my grandfather teaches us about our traditions and cultures. My grandfather is very friendly and has a cool and great personality and tries to talk nicely and calmly to everyone passing across his message without being rude. He helps my brother and sometimes me with our assignments. He majorly teaches us about all of the tools we need to be successful in life including punctuality, discipline, moral, cleanliness, continuity, honesty, hard work and trustworthiness.

My lovely grandmother is one of the nicest people I know, she tells my brother and I lovely stories every night. My father is a civil engineer and he is very hardworking, sincere and punctual. He is the breadwinner of the family and does his best to provide for every member of the family even if that means he has to work extra hours. My mother is very sweet and takes care of every member of the family even though she works as an accountant at a firm. She wakes up very early in the morning to make preparations for the day. My brother is a funny and jovial person that enjoys sporting activities and I love him so much.

Sometimes I wish my cousins, uncles and aunts lived with us, I love having them around. There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages of having everyone around. I have highlighted some below.

Some advantages are:

1. It gives a better routine of living that can contribute to a proper growth.

2. Having a joint family helps in following the numerous principles of an equitable economy and helps teach discipline and respect. It also teaches us how to share the burden of other family members.

3. There is the understanding of having to adjust to the needs of other family members.

4. The children in a large family get to grow up in a happy environment because they have children of their age around that they can play with.

5. All the members of a joint family are usually very disciplined and responsible as everyone has to follow the instructions of the family head.

Some of the disadvantages include:

1. There is always the chance of a rift or fight between the family members because of the possible imbalance of feelings of oneness, brotherly love and feeling of generosity.

2. There is a chance of the members of the family that earn very high looking down on members of the family that do not.

The concept of family is important in India for every individual. Family defines an individual background in terms of social relations and growth. Families influence the lives of individuals from childhood to adulthood especially in decisions concerning life milestones like marriage and career paths. Indian families live together for up to four generations under one roof and they manage to maintain lose family relations compared to other families across the globe. Indian families tend to stick to their cultural practices as a family and they maintain religious practices that cut across the family. Elders in Indian families are respected by the members of the family and their opinions are considered during decision making.

What Family Really Means :

Basic knowledge defines a family as a group of people who share genetic and legal bonds. However, the concept of family means a lot more for other people than just the bond and it incorporates the concepts of culture and religion. In India, the concept of family differs from what the rest of the world perceives as family.

Families in India go beyond nuclear and extend to wider circles, whereby the extended family lives together and are closely related. The relationships in the family are strong such that cousins are considered siblings and aunts and uncles are considered parents. Family also means the unconditional love among the members of the family whereby there is support in terms of finances and emotions.

Why the Family is so important:

The family plays a central role in lives of individuals in teaching of moral values. Parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents have been known to teach the children on morality and disciplinary issue s in most cultures. Both spiritual and moral values are instilled through family. Family give a sense of belonging to individuals because they are over by the family and supported at all times.

A family will always support its members with needs including financial and emotional needs. In a family, there has been established levels of satisfaction and happiness from the joy of being together. Families also helping community development through contributions and participating in activities in the community. The family is important in the society in maintaining order, discipline and peace.

I come from a big family. My family has not moved to an urban area and so we still live as a wider circle together with the extended family. In my nuclear family, I am the first born of four children. I have one sister and two brothers who are still at school. I have three aunts and two uncles. My cousins are twelve in number and most of them are at school except for the youngest ones.

My grandparents are very old and they do not get out of the house much and are being taken care by my parents and aunts. Most of the children are always at school and the house gets quiet but during holiday, we all unite together as a full house. My family is of the middle class in terms of wealth. Our religion is Hindu and we all practice the Indian cultures and traditions. What I love about my family is that everyone is a good cook and the food is always amazing. Members of my family are kind and respectful and that is why we rarely have disputes. The family support is strong and we all love each other.

Why I love My Family:

Having a big family is interesting because the house always feels warm. As I had earlier mentioned, my family is made of good cooks, which makes me love them. There is always teamwork within the family and good relationships are maintained. I like the adventurous nature of my family because we always have fun whenever we go for holiday vacations or have a family event.

Moral cultural and spiritual values are highly cared for in the society. My family is oriented in good moral values and believe we make a good role model for the society. Despite the influence of education, the family has been able to maintain the culture and traditions of Indian people. The love that exists in my family is precious and that is the most important value of all times because what family without love?

Our Weekend Outings and House Parties:

We do not have many of these in our family because of the different schedules among the members. We only have weekend outings and house parties during holidays. Birthday parties are and weddings are the parties that we frequently have as a family. I love parties at home because the food is usually exceptionally good. Also, the dancing and happy faces. Weekend outings are usually in form of picnics and they are usually full of games.

Cousins Visit during Summer:

My family is young and only three of my cousins are in college. The rest are in high school or elementary schools. Whenever my cousins come home from school, it is a happy moment for the whole family and we host parties to welcome them home. Whenever my older cousins are at home, I enjoy their company and I love to hear stories about college because that is where I will be in a few years’ time.

In the spirit of holidays, we have a vacation or two in a year. During these vacations, plans begin early and when the time comes, it is enjoyable and relaxing. Vacations for us as children tend to be more enjoyable because we have an environment away from home and with minimal parental supervision and we tend to explore and talk among ourselves. Team building during vacations strengthens the bond in families.

Family is a blessing to individuals because that is where they belong and it is what defines them. A good family is built through moral values and team effort. Having family events and parties or vacations re important is strengthening the relationships within a family. A happy individual is definitely from a happy family.

Family , My Family , Relationships

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Family businesses are the cornerstone of most national economies, according to a recent report by Credit Suisse Research. They can create jobs, spur innovation, and drive superior returns.

• Claudio Fernández-Aráoz  is an advisor on Talent and Family Businesses, a frequent lecturer at Harvard Business School, and the author of  It’s Not the How or the What but the Who .
• Sonny Iqbal is a partner at Egon Zehnder, and the former co-leader of its global family-business practice.
• Jörg Ritter is a partner at Egon Zehnder and coleader of its global family-business practice.
• René Sadowski is engagement leader at Egon Zehnder and a member of its global family-business practice.

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Personal Characteristics Essay: Top Examples and Tips for Successful Writing

Looking to write a compelling personal characteristics essay? Our article offers top examples and tips for successful writing.

Posted August 18, 2023

Table of Contents

When it comes to writing a personal characteristics essay, there are several important factors to consider to ensure that your essay stands out from the rest. This type of essay requires you to talk about your personal traits and characteristics and how they have shaped your life experiences and decisions. Writing a personal characteristics essay can be daunting, but with the right strategies and techniques, you can craft an impressive essay that leaves a lasting impression.

Understanding the Purpose of a Personal Characteristics Essay

Before diving into the writing process, it's essential to understand the purpose of a personal characteristics essay. The purpose of this type of essay is to showcase your unique qualities and characteristics, which makes you stand out from the rest. It's an opportunity for the reader to gain insight into your personality and the way you think. Your essay should not only provide a description of your traits but also demonstrate how they influence your actions and decisions.

Additionally, a personal characteristics essay can also serve as a tool for self-reflection and personal growth. Through the process of writing about your traits and how they have impacted your life, you may gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your values. This type of essay can also help you identify areas for improvement and set goals for personal development.

How to Choose a Topic for Your Personal Characteristics Essay

Choosing the right topic for your personal characteristics essay is crucial. You want to select a topic that not only reflects your personality but also allows you to showcase your writing skills. Start by brainstorming a list of traits and characteristics that define you. From there, select a topic that highlights one or two of these traits. Think about a situation that showcases these traits and how you overcame a challenge or learned a valuable lesson.

Another important factor to consider when choosing a topic for your personal characteristics essay is your audience. Think about who will be reading your essay and what they might be interested in learning about you. Consider selecting a topic that is relatable and relevant to your audience, while still highlighting your unique qualities.

It's also important to remember that your personal characteristics essay should not just be a list of traits or accomplishments. Instead, focus on telling a story that illustrates your personality and how it has shaped your experiences and perspectives. Choose a topic that allows you to delve deeper into your personal journey and share insights that will resonate with your readers.

Brainstorming Techniques for Your Personal Characteristics Essay

Brainstorming is an essential step in the writing process. It allows you to generate ideas and make connections between them. Try using mind maps or free-writing to get your ideas down on paper. You might also consider asking friends or family members what they think your most prominent traits are to get an outside perspective.

Another effective technique for brainstorming your personal characteristics essay is to reflect on your past experiences and how they have shaped you. Think about challenges you have faced and how you overcame them, or moments of success and how they have contributed to your personal growth. These experiences can provide valuable insight into your character and help you identify key traits to highlight in your essay.

The Importance of Organizing Your Thoughts and Ideas

Once you've generated your ideas, it's time to organize them. Start by creating an outline that includes the main points you want to make in your essay. Your outline should also include the introduction, body, and conclusion sections of your essay. Organizing your thoughts and ideas will help you stay on track and ensure that you cover all the necessary points in your essay.

Moreover, organizing your thoughts and ideas can also help you identify any gaps in your argument or areas where you need to do more research. By creating an outline, you can see where you need to add more information or examples to support your points. This can help you create a more well-rounded and convincing essay.

Additionally, organizing your thoughts and ideas can also help you save time in the long run. When you have a clear outline to follow, you can write your essay more efficiently and effectively. You won't waste time trying to figure out what to write next or how to structure your essay. Instead, you can focus on writing high-quality content that supports your thesis statement and engages your readers.

Tips for Writing a Strong Introduction to Your Essay

The introduction to your essay is crucial as it sets the tone for the rest of your essay. Your introduction should grab the reader's attention and entice them to keep reading. Consider starting with a hook, such as a quote, an anecdote, or a question. Your introduction should also include your thesis statement, which outlines the main point of your essay.

In addition to a hook and thesis statement, your introduction should also provide some background information on the topic you are writing about. This can help to contextualize your essay and give the reader a better understanding of the subject matter. However, be careful not to include too much information in your introduction, as it can become overwhelming and detract from the main point of your essay.

The Art of Developing a Compelling Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement should be concise and clear. It should provide a roadmap for the rest of your essay. Think about the main point you want to make and how you plan on supporting it throughout your essay. Make sure your thesis statement is arguable and specific.

Supporting Your Claims with Relevant Examples and Evidence

To make your essay more compelling, you should back up your claims and arguments with relevant examples and evidence. This will help your reader understand the extent of your personal qualities and how they have impacted your life experiences. Make sure to include specific examples from your life that illustrate the qualities you're discussing in your essay.

One effective way to provide evidence for your claims is to use statistics or data that support your argument. For example, if you're writing an essay about the benefits of exercise, you could include statistics about the number of people who have improved their health through regular exercise. This will add credibility to your argument and make it more convincing.

Another way to support your claims is to use expert opinions or quotes from reputable sources. This can help to strengthen your argument and show that you have done your research on the topic. Be sure to properly cite any sources you use in your essay.

The Power of Descriptive Writing: Painting a Vivid Picture with Words

Descriptive writing is a powerful tool that can be used to paint a vivid picture of your experiences and personality in your essay. Use sensory details to help your reader visualize your experiences. Consider incorporating metaphors or similes to make your writing more interesting and engaging.

Adding Depth and Complexity to Your Essay through Analysis and Reflection

Analysis and reflection are essential elements of an outstanding personal characteristics essay. Once you have described your traits and experiences, you should analyze how they have contributed to your personal growth and development. Reflection is also important as it allows you to consider how you might apply your characteristics to future situations.

The Benefits of Peer Review and Collaboration in Essay Writing

Collaborating with others can be immensely helpful in refining your essay. You might consider having a friend or family member review your essay and provide feedback. Peer review can help you identify areas where your essay needs improvement and provide suggestions for how to improve it.

Strategies for Effective Editing and Proofreading

Editing and proofreading are crucial steps in the writing process. Once you have completed your essay, take a break and come back to it with fresh eyes. Look for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Make sure to also check that your essay flows logically and that your arguments are well-supported.

Addressing Common Pitfalls in Personal Characteristics Essays

One common pitfall in personal characteristics essays is focusing too much on describing your traits instead of analyzing how they have impacted your life experiences. Another common pitfall is using cliches or generic language instead of making your essay unique and interesting. Be sure to avoid these pitfalls to ensure your essay stands out.

Using Keywords and Meta Tags to Optimize Your Essay for Search Engines

If you plan on publishing your essay online, you might consider optimizing it for search engines such as Google. This involves using keywords and meta tags in your essay that will help it appear higher in search results. Be sure to research the most popular keywords related to your topic and include them strategically in your essay.

Crafting an Impressive Conclusion that Leaves a Lasting Impression

Finally, your conclusion should leave a lasting impression on the reader. Summarize your main points and reiterate your thesis statement. Think about what you want your reader to take away from your essay. Consider ending with a call to action or a memorable quote.

Writing a personal characteristics essay can be a challenging task, but with the right strategies and techniques, you can craft an impressive essay that showcases your unique qualities and characteristics. By following the tips outlined above, you'll be well on your way to writing a successful personal characteristics essay that leaves a lasting impression.

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