Do you dread family gatherings? Do you find it hard to connect with your extended family and don’t know where to start? You’re not alone.
Many of us feel uncomfortable and out of place when we’re around our extended family. Whether they are related through adoption, marriage, or even living in a different country, there is hope.
A Guide to Building Strong Bonds with Your Extended Family Members can help break through these barriers and create memorable moments together. With the right tips and advice, you can build stronger connections and make lasting bonds with your far-away family members. So let’s get started!
Establishing an Open Line of Communication
Establishing an open line of communication is essential to building strong bonds with extended family members. Learning how to share both positive and negative feelings can help bring families closer together.
It’s important to work on communication skills, as well as listening and speaking, to create a safe space to talk. When talking, focus on understanding and respect as opposed to arguing or talking about problems non-stop. Use verbal and non-verbal cues, like eye contact, to show you’re engaged with the conversation.
Ask questions about the other person’s life and interests and remember to provide updates about yourself when possible. Strive to listen to each other’s points of view without judgment. Make sure to be patient, considerate, and respectful in your dialogue with family members.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to talk about sensitive topics and have difficult conversations. Open communication ultimately helps bridge the generational gap and strengthens family ties.
Planning Family Get-Togethers
Planning family get-togethers may be daunting, but with the proper guidance and care, it can be the key to creating strong bonds with your extended family. Consider getting together a few times a year to keep the connection alive.
Interactions can be held in a relaxed environment such as a picnic, cookout, or family game night. Also, having kids attend can be beneficial, as they can help to bring back fond memories and cherished feelings.
When planning, include everyone’s favourites, and be sure to plan activities that everyone can enjoy. This way, all family members feel safe and that they are truly part of the event. Show your appreciation by engaging with everyone, spending quality time with each other, and being kind, understanding, and patient.
Strengthening Family Values Through Shared Experience
Building strong bonds with your extended family can be achieved by developing mutual respect and understanding. To start, invite them over for a meal or an activity that the whole family would enjoy. This is a great way to break the ice and allow everyone to become more comfortable with one another.
Games and outdoor activities are great ways to bring extended families together and strengthen family values. Such games allow conversations to be had in more relaxed and natural environments. Not only can this help to strengthen family values such as those of respect and kindness, but it also allows extended family members to get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere, helping to build strong bonds.
Creating Lasting Memories Through Traditions
Traditions are also a great way to keep up to date with one another and can make family get-togethers even more special. During the gatherings, having a dedicated time for doing something that encourages unity like a game, a themed dinner, or an exchange of gifts, can help everyone in the family feel as if they are part of something greater.
Developing strong ties through traditions with your extended family serves as an acknowledgment that family is important, and when it comes to building lifelong bonds, nothing beats remembering the good times shared through tradition.
Using Technology to Stay Connected
With the advancements in technology, it’s easier than ever before to stay connected with your extended family. Start off using technology to stay connected by reaching out to family members online. Reach out to your extended family members through social media or email and start having conversations with them.
Set up occasional video calls, where family members can catch up and share stories. Scheduling regular times to catch up on video calls will help keep your relationship strong and give you the feeling that you’re staying close even though you don’t live close.
Use the technology that’s available for sending photos and messages and providing updates about your life. Allow your extended family members to become a part of your life, even if you can’t physically meet them. It’s important to make sure to take the time to reach out and nurture relationships with your extended family members, as it can help enrich lives and bring joy to you and your family.
Follow This Guide for a Stronger Bond With Extended Family
By establishing an open line of communication, planning family get-togethers, strengthening family values through shared experiences, creating lasting memories through traditions, and using technology to stay connected, strong familial bonds can be built across generations. Developing a strong connection is the key to forming closer relationships with one another. Reach out today and strengthen the bonds with your family members.