How We Can Help Our Familiies Build Trust
By Sandy Schroeder
Trust is the glue that we all need to keep our families and our lives together, but when it is challenged, it’s easy to doubt. Our day-to-day activities all rely on trust, but that trust may wobble if we get contradictory results.
If you feel like someone has deliberately sabotaged you, or your child shows signs of stress and lack of trust, it’s important to take the time to work on the issue.
Take a closer look at your situation to figure out what happened when someone let you down, and spend the time with your child to listen to their thoughts and help them work through their doubts. You may have succeeded if your spirit begins to lift, and your child starts to giggle again.
Here are some steps that psychologists suggest to rebuild trust.
Settle in one area – Previous generations did this automatically, settling into an area and putting down roots, but now many of us tend to move about. Consider picking the best area for you and your family and calling it home. As you settle into an area you get to know more people and often find ones you can trust. This can work for your kids, too, as they make friends and move through school with them. I have friends who had to move a lot when they were children, and most seem to regret the loss of having one place to call home.
Create comfortable patterns – As you settle into an area, reach out to explore the park, visit the gym, and get to know the community. Visit the library and find the best dog park. Gradually you will get to know the people and count on seeing familiar faces.
Reach out more and more – If you have found the right spot, it may be easy to talk with fellow walkers or joggers, or get to know your neighbors. Offer to help them, and ask for help if it feels comfortable. Those give-and-take, one-on-one relationships are what it’s all about. You may feel the trust build as you get to know more people, and your house becomes a home in your community.
Think about what trust means to you – These basic steps are just the beginning. As you experience trust, you may find more ways to help others and build trust throughout your community. Volunteering at local hospitals, libraries and animal shelters helps to strengthen the community. Show up for community cleanups at the park or the beach, and get involved when new problems arise. That’s trust turned to action, and it’s all good for you and your family.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Loveland, Colo.