Blog Archive

Saturday 23 April 2016

CREATING FAMILY CULTURE

Memories of my childhood is filled with happy moments. These moments are all marked by family gatherings and repeated events, year after year, simple routines and practices. Only much later I realised that our family had a unique way of living. This has now become our family culture, which is passed on from one generation to the next. These are the things refer to when say to our children: “When I was your age we always did…now I would like to share it with you.”
These repeated actions is what forms the foundation of our children’s’ experience of family life.  The way we speak to each other, deal with conflict and set boundaries all contribute to the state of our family’s healthy living. Factors that shape our family culture.
Family culture is the unique way in which we help our children to engage with the world and be true to their family values. A strong and positive family culture is based on trust, mutual respect and understanding. This is the moment when your child respond to negative influences with: “I don’t think my parents would like it if I do this.” 
A simple example is the way in which we interact with our children’s friends. Having and open house for friends skills our children in sharing our home with others. There are set expectations when having guests over and how we expect them to behave. This is mirrored by us when we have family over, or have our friends over. We set the example that becomes our culture. All these are negotiated through repetition. 
Family culture is about creating a connected union between us, our children and our extended family. I like the idea of celebrating family successes by inviting family over for a simple meal.  The children know that they need to assist with the planning and preparations as this forms part of the celebration and our family culture.
Family culture is the accepted norms and values that the family upholds. These are the simple yet important things that we hold dear and want to pass on to our children. Some of these values can be examined by discussing the following considerations as a family:
  • How we expect the children to address adults regardless of their social standing or economic status.
  • How we view material things. Are we appreciating the small inexpensive gifts as much as the expensive ones?
  • How we view education and the importance of achieving our best.
  • How we deal with family crises.
Our family is our brand and this brand is recognised by our family’s culture. Yet Parenting speaks to that constant pursuit to uphold strong traditions and creating a sense of belonging for our children.
Let’s continue to create memories with our children that will become part of their being and family culture.
Happy parenting!

 

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