Tips for Healthy Family Relationships
By Rachel Shouse
A lot of people have a distorted view of what a healthy relationship looks like. Too much time on Instagram and Facebook has a way of doing that. We see others and all of their pictures. We try to keep up with the Joneses. In the end, none of that matters. It's just stuff. You can build a healthy home. Not a home that just appears to be happy. It's all smoke and mirrors. If you want more than surface relationships within your four walls, you've come to the right place. First and foremost, never be ashamed of getting help. You're going to learn some things about building healthy habits as a family as well.
Seeking Help
Social workers are a special breed of people. They're not only extremely helpful and wise, they're also practical. Getting an outside perspective of your problems can usually unleash a slur of ideas and solutions. It's normal to get wrapped up in your own struggles and feel stuck.
Families as a whole can feel stuck. Trying to combine all of the personalities, preferences, opinions, etc., that exist within a family unit is more than a challenge. Social workers are trained to help a plethora of people. Work, families, couples, singles, medical illness survivors, and veterans are some of the people(s) that a social worker is trained to handle and advise.
Working Out as a Family
You may see working out as a daunting chore. Your teenager may roll their eyes or throw their sassy hands on their hips. Your younger children may be super excited. You might have to endure some struggles along the way, but building this habit is worth the work. Children are more likely to hang onto habits that have been established early. That doesn't mean you give up hope in your teens. They're going to require extra patience. If you can, make it fun. You may notice that fun may help motivate you as well.
Eat Healthy as a Whole
Teaching your children healthy eating habits is also something they could bring along into their adult years. Maybe even raise your grandchildren with the same lifestyle choices. Here are a few helpful tips on healthy eating as a family.
- Start the day with a healthy breakfast
- Involve your children in meal planning and prepping
- Offer a variety of foods and keep healthy options on hand for yourself as well
- Learn and educate your family on the importance of water
In reality, your kids are not going to suffer if they have sugary treats or if they prefer the less-healthy cereal over Cheerios. If you can teach them one thing, teach them about portions. Learning self-control at an early age is, again, really helpful.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Wake Forest, N.C.