Relationships At Home

In this article, we share some ideas for how to create more harmonious relationships at home.

Arguments and disagreements pop up in families all the time. It’s a valuable part of the communication process.

People don’t all think the same way, and in order to express themselves, they must sometimes disagree with each other. This doesn’t have to be a negative experience. Here are some guidelines for resolving conflict in a healthy, non-threatening manner (this is appropriate for both adults and children).

Get the grumble out in the open

What is the problem? All those involved in the conflict should have a turn to air their feelings. Set simple rules such as no name-calling, blaming or interrupting.

Brainstorm for possible solutions

What can we do to sort this out? Everyone gets to have their say, and contribute helpful ideas.

Take time out to think

Consider the options and decide what each person is willing to do to help resolve the conflict.

Choose a solution that everyone can live with

It may be necessary to make some compromises, but all parties in the conflict should agree upon an appropriate solution.

Put the solution into action

If it doesn’t work, or there are further problems, return to step one and go through the process again, until you find a solution that does work.

Additionally, your relationships at home can benefit from time spent together working toward a common goal. Try these ideas for activities you can share as a family that also support the environment:

Donate or Re-sell Unused Children’s Toys

Donating or selling toys that are still in good condition but no longer used by your child will teach them about the benefits of recycling and re-using to reduce waste. Not only that, you’ll clear some space and your child could even earn a few dollars if you can sell the items via Gumtree, Marketplace or similar.

Arts and Crafts with Recycled Items

You can encourage your child’s creativity while helping the environment. Think about items that would normally go straight into the recycling or rubbish bin that could be used for arts and crafts projects.

Some examples are empty paper towel rolls, empty fruit punnets, empty delivery boxes, empty bubble-wrap pouches, used envelopes, empty plastic bottles, bottle caps, single-sided printed paper or letters. The options here are endless – as limitless as your child’s creativity and imagination!

Reading Books About the Environment

For many families, a story before bed is an embedded part of the daily routine. If that’s the case for your family, you can look for titles in your local library that help your child learn about the environment and how they can make a difference.

Your librarian will be able to make some good recommendations if you’re not sure where to start.

We hope these tips and ideas will help you to support your family relationships at home…