A healthy family relationship is not perfect, but it should be functional. Its ideal dynamic is that everyone plays a specific role in enabling all family members’ growth. These roles help create shared activities, regular communication, and mutual respect.

Regardless of blood relation or not, here are tips on how to build healthy family relationships:

1. Create an open communication network.

Learning when to listen and speak is essential in creating a healthy family bond. Family members should communicate their thoughts and feelings openly and honestly without malice. They should also consider each other’s point of view to avoid alienation. When conflicts arise, mediators like parents should avoid playing “favorites” and allow each party to share their grievances without judgment.

2. Share hobbies and activities.

This step includes activities to strengthen family relationships. Some examples include:

• Going on a holiday or trip;
• Have a family movie night;
• Play games together; and
• Eat in a restaurant

These activities should be fun and exciting and offer various exercises for different members.

3. Create a value system.

Families should operate on a system of values that they believe in wholeheartedly. Values like honesty, integrity, hard work and perseverance are ways to encourage a person’s character growth. Teaching morality is integral because these values help shape a person’s character once they grow older. Parents or senior members of the family must provide a source of guidance for children or younger members. That way, when the younger members’ leave the nest’, they can confidently face the world and its obstacles.

4. Provide support and acceptance.

Being a family member means accepting your similarities and differences. As for the latter, members should offer help, encouragement, and reassurance without judgment. Additionally, members seeking help should be willing to listen to each other’s advice.