A harmonious family is almost the complete opposite of a discordant family. In a harmonious family, positive dynamics result in shared interests and every member feels encouraged to follow their own aspirations. In a discordant family, negative dynamics result in diverse interests and every member feels doubtful about pursuing meaningful goals.
With that in mind, here are some secrets to raising a harmonious family.
Keep the Family Healthy
A harmonious family protects the health of family members by abiding by two commonsense principles: first, every family member is encouraged to adopt healthy habits; and, second, parents consult health care professionals whenever necessary.
Besides ensuring children get the best medical treatment, parents should also research other resources that could help a child with health challenges. For instance, if a child needs to wear braces, parents can find AFO socks for kids that help prevent skin chafing.
Encouraging Robust or Creative Play
Technological advances have made play less robust. Now children prefer to play video games rather than go out biking around the neighborhood with their friends, and they prefer to hunker down in front of their favorite TV shows over the weekends rather than enjoying creative arts and crafts.
Technological entertainment can also make parenting more difficult. In discordant homes, parents leave children to make their own choices. Consequently, their children pursue sedentary screen-based activities to pass the time.
In harmonious homes, parents remind children about the benefits of outdoor activities, playing sports and pursuing creative projects that build skills. While it’s unrealistic to prevent kids from enjoying the Internet or watching TV, it’s possible to set limits and encourage more robust forms of play that improve physical fitness or increase mental aptitude.
Reducing the Harmful Effects of Mainstream Media
Since the mainstream media, as well as alternative media outlets, focus on what’s wrong in the world, emphasizing violence and social unrest, a child who imbibes too much of it gets a distorted view of life. They see the world as a dangerous place. And since children are highly impressionable, many of the things they watch negatively influence their behavior.
To raise a healthy child, one who’s secure, parents need to monitor media coverage for children. While it isn’t possible to shield a child entirely from the negativity reported in the media, it’s possible to provide a child with a more balanced worldview by helping them interpret what’s going on in the world and by placing an emphasis on the value of educational media over entertainment media.
Encouraging Community Interactions
By joining social organizations or faith-based groups that make the world a better place, parents are exposing their children to understanding how giving is an important part of being a fully rounded human being. Unless parents expose children to social works of compassion, sharing, and giving children are liable to see the world as a place of competition rather than cooperation.
In a harmonious family, parents work together to instill humanitarian values in their children. In a discordant family, the parents don’t agree on many issues and their children feel confused about life.
