SIXTEEN (Human Relations Final Project) (May 5th) | Page 13

If you want to improve the relationship with your family, you can do billions of things, but I truly recommend these actions, small but effective:

•Start having longer conversations with them. I know it’s kind of difficult to have a lot of confidence at first, but remember that your parents have gone through adolescence before and they know how it feels to love someone that does not notice you and that kinds of problems.

•Establish a day of ONLY family. Sunday works perfectly, play games, talk, eat together, go to the park, etc. Do things you like, to make yourself interested and be able to have a very nice time with them. The Joyce Brothers said once, “When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses”, so it’s important to have that special moments with them.

•Have dinner together. Because it’s really important to listen how was the day for your brother, your mom, your uncle, whoever lives with you. Be sincere and tell them how was your day too, don’t say a “good” for an answer, be full in details, that makes it funnier.

When you were younger (if you had a different type of family), as I did, you probably asked yourself why your family was different from the others, why you did not have the typical one, maybe you also were curious of how it would feel to have a different family. What you need to learn and realize is that there is no family like the one you have, each family is unique and beautiful in its way, so embrace that and be proud of it.

During the adolescence is very common that the strong bond looses a bit, but don’t let that happen, because during this stage of your life, you will need them the most, to support you and to help you discover who you are and who you want to be.

50 years ago, the idea of a family was completely different of what it is now. We all have seen old movies where the concept of family is clearly established; family was made up of a married couple and their kids, where the wife stayed at home taking care of everything and the man went to work and bring the money home. The thing is, things have changed; now, a family has a deeper meaning. Family is made up of who you love, no matter the quantity, no matter if they are married or not, no matter their sexual orientation; the only thing that really matters is the unity and the confidence they make you feel.

Embrace your Family

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