Strengthening Our Family Bonds

Our families are our lifelines. They are our primary source of love and strength. They are our first intimate human connections before friends and romantic relationships, and they are the most important connections one can possibly have. Yet when the chaos of our daily lives take over, we sometimes forget that family should come first no matter what. More often than not, many of us are guilty of forgetting to call our parents, or postponing a promised family vacation, or spending more time at the office when we should be spending more time with our kids. Sometimes it takes a major crisis, such as the current economic upheaval, for us to realize that the bonds we have with our family is more important than anything else. Last week, we focused on pets--which can and should be considered family members! This week, we are stepping back to look at families as a whole. I want to ask all of you here on Intent: how do you keep your family connections strong? Especially in busy times and stressful times, how do you take the time to nurture and take care of the people in your family? Though parenting may be the first thing that comes to mind, the topic of family also relates to your siblings, your parents, your extended family members, your step-families, your in-laws... and the list goes on! Do you have a special family ritual that you do on a weekly basis? Do you make family websites and newsletters? Do you share unique hobbies or special day trips with your family? Share all your family-bonding ideas on Intent and don't forget to categorize your blog post under "Parenting & Family." In the next few days, I will be sharing my own personal family stories and ideas. As usual, we will be rounding up the best family-related content at the end of the week. I look forward to reading all your posts!