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5 things you must do to keep family strong.

All of us want to keep our family strong.  I have 5 tips for you to keep family strong.  These tips worked for my family.  I am thankful that my family is strong even today.  We are growing stronger and stronger.  Do you want to have a strong relationship with your kids no matter their age?  These tips will help you do that.

1) Communication

Communication is key to keeping your family strong for a long time. As a family, we kept our lines of communication open from the moment we were married to our kids from babies to all the way up to adulthood. If you do not communicate openly then there comes misunderstanding and strife.

This tears family down.

It is so important to talk every day and touch base. You and your spouse need to be talking with each other to show your children how to communicate as a family. As a couple, both of you, need to communicate with each other in front of your kids, even if you have disagreements, your kids need to see that communicating with each other gives a firm foundation of keeping family strong.

Family Meeting

Another way to keep your family communicating is to have family meetings one day a week. I know all of us are busy and going in many different directions. Make sure you have a sit down chat over dinner one night a week or a weekend.

Encourage your kids to talk to you by keeping your attention on them. During the meeting turn the tv off, phones on the table and listen to your kids. My kids have learned at a very young age that we are here for them to vent or talk. We made our family strong by keeping our lines of communication open with each of our family members in our home.

Here are some books I recommend for area of Communication:

This is a good one for teens during family meeting time:

2) Pray together

There is a saying that I hear all the time. A family that eats together, stays together. This is true but I do know that when families pray together stays together. Our family prays together every night. We have done this since the kids were very little.

Our family is strong because we pray together every night.

This is where your children will see you active in your faith in God. I will also add to this is to have Bible time every night. We have always done Bible time and prayer time every night no matter what. Our family is strong because we have Bible time and Prayer time together each evening.

Often the best memories are hearing the kids say their prayers.  We take turns each night to do a prayer.

Always pray as a family.

Encourage your kids to have their own prayers each day and to keep a prayer journal so they can track answered prayers.

Here are some resources I recommend for prayer.

I love the Stormie O’Martin prayer books.  I do recommend you take some things with a grain of salt.  There are some things I do not agree with but I do highly recommend her books for tips and encouragement for prayers.

For the husband, if he is a reader:

3) Encourage each other

Each of us needs encouragement especially our children. We all need to hear encouragement from our family and friends. When did you encourage your spouse and children? If it has been a while since you encouraged them, take the time tonight to encourage them.

We make sure we encourage each other and our kids every day. It helped to keep our family strong. Encourage them through texting, emails, note in their lunch box or a phone call. One of your family members may be having a bad day and your encouragement can brighten their day.

Encourage your spouse every day.  Don’t keep score with your spouse.  Your encouragement needs to be genuine for your spouse and children.

4) Firm Boundaries

Setting Firm Boundaries in your family will keep your family strong. Family activities should be first. Learn to say no to things that can pull your family in many directions.

One thing that can weaken the family is too many activities outside the home such as each kid are on a sports team so each night you and your spouse are pulled in many different directions due to these activities of sports or activities from school.

I have seen so many families separate from each other due to their children’s activities. It’s ok for kids to be involved in activities outside the home however it is not ok if everybody is pulled in different directions.   Try to have the kids in the same activity if possible.  For example, Martial Arts is one they can be in the same activity as it is based on what day they have classes vs. age levels.

Here are examples of activities that are for all ages:

• Martial Arts
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Running Club
• Chess Club

Ask yourself these questions: How many evenings are you and your spouse separated by these activities? Is it every night? Every single day?

Scale back activities and possibly limit one activity per kid or try to have the kids do the same activity. Evaluate your times of being together vs time away from each other. Setting firm boundaries will help keep your family strong.

5) Keep God as the focus of your family.

This is so important in keeping your family strong. When you have God as the focus of your family all the must do above will fall into place. Why did I put this last? It is not the least but the most important thing you must do to keep your family strong.

God as the focus of your family will help you communicate with each other, pray together, encourage each other and set firm boundaries.

How do you keep God as the focus of your family? Gather together each evening or morning and read the Bible together and pray for each other together. Have talks about the Bible esp when your kids have questions about the Bible.

We got involved in Bible Bowl through our church while the kids were young. It was a lot of fun and all of us learned more about scripture and memorization of scripture.  Our family is strong because we kept God as the focus of our family.

I have shared with you 5 things you must do to keep your family strong.

What is the one thing you will do tonight? What are the changes you will make to help get your family strong again?

I would love to hear from you so comment below what the changes you will make.