FAMILY TIES — WHERE LIFE BEGINS!
Family relationships are an integrated system consisting of family members. If there is little or no communication between them, a major flaw occurs in this system and weakens it, thus making the members vulnerable to psychological problems and disorders mostly the children. In fact, Children first learn relationships with their families and ultimately families offer them a model from which they begin to discover how to build relationships throughout their lives. Children who have a model of healthy relationships in their families are more able to set up these relationships outside their families, with children and other adults in their lives. When children learn positive relationship-building skills, they can practice these skills over and over while meeting new people.
However, our families carry our history with them and they share our future in general as well. Who is better than siblings, fathers and other close relatives who can remind us of our childhood or remember pieces of ourselves that we have forgotten? This relationship with cherished memories, support in times of need and unconditional love is a unique way that makes a family give us happiness and relieve stress.
Social bonds not only give us such pleasure, but they also affect our long-term health in ways characterised by a great deal of adequate sleep, a good diet and no smoking. Dozens of studies have shown that people with social support from family, friends and their community are happier, have fewer health problems and live longer. Nevertheless, the main challenge in our busy lives is the real presence of us with our loved ones. People often rush to the next thing or drift all day on autopilot, forgetting to appreciate the important people in their lives, including the closest relatives or even their parents.
As this touch deeply our lives, maintaining healthy family relationships is crucial during this time. For the elderly, visiting other family members breaks the monotony of what might be a normal day. Whether visits take a short period of time or perhaps the entire afternoon, the time spent together means the world to a senior. These events give older people something to look forward to, which helps to increase the senior’s sense of purpose and reduce feelings of isolation. Family members who live far away can contribute by writing messages, sending photos, and contacting older people frequently. These times provide the opportunity for family members and seniors to strengthen their relationships, love and respect for each other.
Although good family relationships and social support act as preventive factors against mortality risks and improve public health, studies have shown that not all family relationships have a positive impact on health. Problematic and unsupportive family interactions have a negative impact on health. However, parents, family structure and ability to function have an integral effect on the course of a child’s illness or medical condition. There is a large amount of research that documents the many family variables that affect a child’s health outcome. For example, adequate control of diabetes and asthma is strongly correlated with healthy family functioning. Chronic family conflict and parental indifference have all been associated with poor metabolic control in diabetes.
Take it like that, surrounded yourself with every relationship, it won’t make you immortal, but it will keep you — may be alive longer! The study found that older adults who had closer, more intense relationships with their families had a 6 per cent likelihood of death within the next four years, while those who weren’t close had more than double the rate of mortality at 14 per cent. Hence, I believe that marriage, regardless of quality, has had positive effects on longevity.
Keeping everyone together is the goal of most families. If your family is unhealthy or has ended up arguing or unwilling to do things together, you can improve and strengthen relationships by giving everyone an equal opportunity to express their opinions and ideas. I could say that family relations are marked by mutual care, as the elderly being cared by their children and grandchildren, or the elderly, in the role of grandparents, caring for their grandchildren, establishing thus multiple forms and practices of intergenerational solidarity.
At the end, the happiest moments of your life may be few, but are remarkable, especially when spent with your family.