Women's Life Link Be Well, Be Happy, Be YOU!
Raising a family successfully and satisfyingly can be tricky, especially for the working mom. It never seems as though there is enough time to do everything well. Someone always seems to get the short stick. The key to helping your family unit function better and be closer lies within the consistent actions of each family member. This can be challenging because everyone usually runs in different directions. But, to help corral the gang, here are some ways to enhance your family life.
Communicate Consistently
Communication is essential for relationships to stay strong and to grow. This goes for you and your partner, as well as your children. It also applies to your work relationship with colleagues, boss, and employees if you have them. All these people in your life want and need to stay connected to you. So how do you balance it all?
The first thing that comes to mind is the importance of speaking up. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Try not to hold back your feelings, concerns, and praises from anyone. Sharing a part of yourself daily shows others that you are open, loving, and care about including them in your life. It also teaches children to share their feelings, too.
Consistent communication creates the foundation for smooth operations at home and work. And, when mom’s happy at home and work, trust me, things will be much happier for everyone. Things will naturally be less chaotic when everyone understands what’s expected of them. No more missing a dance rehearsal or important deadline. Without communication, you end up living in apples to oranges or watts to amps world. No one knows who is where, when, or how. Crazy! Always be aware of what the rest of the family needs and wants and keep this communication consistent, no matter what. Your relationships will strengthen because of it!
Encourage Team Effort
A team effort is necessary to cultivate organization, peace, and strong connections. After all, if one person is always handling everything, that person can become resentful and unsatisfied. I believe most of you know what I’m talking about.
Encourage everyone to bring ideas to the table, so they feel valued and heard. In fact, make it a game or fun part of your week. Brainstorming together as a family is a perfect way to share time, dreams, and quality communication. They will really appreciate if you throw a pizza and cookies in with it! The goal is to come up with plans that help everyone get their needs met.
Listen to One Another
Listening to each other has become a dying art because of our tech-heavy society. Yeah, everyone has their head either on a phone, computer, video game, or Netflix series. It’s a shame that we all value these things more than spending time listening to each other. Well, we can change.
By listening to family members regularly, we learn and understand more about them. And they learn about you. This is particularly important as kids get older and have tougher challenges put on them. I encourage you to have time as a family to put down all electronics and simply listen to each other. Of course, you will want to have private times with each person in order to build trust and intimacy.
