study the picture given below. write a description or an account of what picture suggests to you in a paragraph
Answers
Our definition of ‘family’ has changed over the past few decades to include single parent, same-sex and blended families as well as the traditional family structure of two parents and their children living together. The Family Strengths Research Project identified eight strengths of strong families in Australia. This study shows that happy families, whatever their makeup, have certain traits in common. It might be valuable to occasionally evaluate the dynamics of your family to ensure that everyone is as happy as they could be.
Communication
Families benefit from open two-way communication that is loving, understanding and patient. Suggestions include:
Being honest with each other
Listening to each other with full attention
Staying in contact with each other
Reassuring each other of your love with words, cuddles and making time for each other
Sharing thoughts and feelings without censuring or criticising each other
Encouraging positive behaviour
Allowing the expression of negative emotions as well as positive ones
Working together to solve problems and conflicts
Laughing together.
Sharing activities
Happy families share activities together. Suggestions include:
Share time together.
Make dinnertime an opportunity for round table family discussions.
Play together.
Go on regular family outings.
Decide as a group on important family ‘traditions’, such as how to celebrate birthdays and festive occasions.
Plan holidays that cater for the whole family.
Togetherness
Children need to be involved in some of the decision making if they are to feel like a worthwhile family member. Happy families share a feeling of togetherness. This includes:
Sharing a common sense of belonging
Sharing beliefs that really matter
Enjoying the place we call home
Celebrating together
Sharing our memories.
Support
Happy families support and encourage each other by:
Looking out for each other
Sharing the load
Being there for each other
Encouraging each other to try new things
Taking an active interest in each other’s hobbies.
Affection
Happy families show their affection for each other in a variety of ways, including:
Telling family members how they feel about them
Showing their love for each other
Considering each other, including each other’s feelings
Caring about each other
Doing things for each other.
Acceptance
Families are made up of different individuals with different needs and, sometimes, different values and beliefs. Happy families are able to show acceptance of these individual differences by:
Accepting the differences
Giving each other space
Respecting each other’s points of view
Being able to forgive each other
Each taking on their own responsibilities.
Commitment
Happy families have a genuine commitment to each other, which is shown through:
Feeling safe and secure with each other
Trusting each other
Keeping promises
Doing things for the community
Having rules.
Resilience
Happy families show their resilience through:
Talking things through
Changing plans when they need to
Learning from the tough times
Keeping each other hopeful
Pulling together in a crisis
Discussing problems.
Unhappy families
Families that don’t function as well as they could have certain traits in common, including:
Unfair power distribution, such as one parent ruling the household
Problems with maintaining peaceful conflict negotiation
Lack of respect for each other as individuals
Not talking or listening to each other
Refusing to acknowledge or accept anyone else’s point of view
A tendency to rely on negative forms of communication such as yelling, criticising or sulking
The use of physical punishment, such as smacking or hitting, as the main form of discipline.
Overcoming problems with professional help
There are services available that help family members work through difficult issues. Seek professional advice if you think you need some assistance.