“Therefore will a man leave his mother and father’s house, and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one” (Genesis 2:23-24).
A family starts from the onset of marriage; when a man decides to make his desired woman his wife. This family is part of the social agent that forms the society.
In a general term, a family consists of the man, his wife, and child(ren), and the head of the family is the man. These individuals in the family are individuals with different, unique and variety of character, personality, wants, need, and so on.
Putting your family first means relating with one another accordingly, having in mind that you are all unique being in the relationship. This helps to develop a good family relationship.
As children start to grow, they learn the basic and complex things through what they have experienced via the relationship with their family. These relationships can affect many aspects of their development.
As they mature, family relationships touch all areas of their development – thinking, social, emotional, physical, behavioural, and moral.
Good family relationships that are stable in the early years help children develop good self-confidence, motivation to learn and perform well in school.
Later in life, they contribute to the ability to talk instead of fight, knowing the difference between right and wrong, making and keeping friends and being a valued family member.
In order to develop a good family relationship, one must find time to be together as a family, remembering to talk, share and laugh when you spend time together.
Children have opportunities to learn important lessons from the family and to acquire important habits with the help of the parents.
Parents should include their child in their daily life and routines, such as assigning your child chores of helping in the kitchen to wash dishes while you cook in, washing the car together, and so on.
Doing these, you have an opportunity to provide more one-to-one attention. You will be able to really listen to what your child is saying and focus a reply to extend their thinking.
You might be able to tap into your child’s concerns or ideas and strengthen your bonds through sharing and understanding.
While involving your child in your daily routines, you might also be able to clarify some basic things to your child, talk to him/her about what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how it is meaningful not just to you or the child, but to the whole family.
Relationships are built through trust and support and your child begins building his/hers at home.
Through mutual respect, positive and consistent time spent together, and involvement in daily routines, your child develops a deeper understanding of his place within the family community.
All the skills your child learns through these routines may then be used when he goes into the wider community and builds relationships with other children and adults.
