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Five Signs Your Family is Healthy: And
Three Simple Ways to Keep It That Way
Most people would like their families to
improve. There are five basic characteristics of a loving
family—five elements that, if
they are in place, will create healthy family dynamics.
- An Attitude of Service
A healthy family has an attitude
of service to each other and to the world outside the walls
of the family. Read the biographies of men and women who
have lived lives of sacrificial service to others, and you
will find that most of them grew up in families that nurtured
the idea of service as virtuous.
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3 Easy Steps to Maintain Health
- Keep Talking—Learn the love languages of everyone in your family and then express love in ways they understand.
- Keep Your Family off the Back Burner—Resist the temptation to put off relationship building when life gets busy. Neglect can
poison relationships.
- Get Rid of Potential Wedges in Your Relationships—Watch out for anything that has the potential to drive you apart, especially pride, negativity, schedule overload, or
indifference.
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The World's Easiest Guide to
Family Relationships
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Intimacy between Husband and Wife
The sharing of the inner self is the fabric from which we
weave marital intimacy. It satisfies the inner longings
of the couple, and, if children are in the family, it serves
as the best positive model of what family is all about.
- Parents Who Teach and Train
Some parents are strong on teaching—they want to answer
the “why” questions for children. Other parents
emphasize training—their motto is “Actions speak
louder than words.” In a loving family, parents balance
teaching and training. Parents see them as companion tools,
not exclusive methods.
- Children Who Obey and Honor Parents
In a functional family, parental authority is used for the
benefit of the children. They espouse the virtues of kindness,
love, honesty, forgiveness, integrity, hard work, and treating
others with respect. Children who obey this kind of parent
will reap the benefit of living under wholesome authority.
- Husbands Who are
Loving Leaders
Male leadership expresses itself in two relationships in
the family: husband and father. Being both loving and a
leader is a unique combination, but it’s an important
ingredient of a healthy family.
Say What? How to Spot Your Child's Love
Language
Learning to speak your child’s
love language will be an adventure. Although the “translation”
process might not run smoothly, we can give you clues to look
for as you search. Becoming fluent in your child’s love
language is largely a matter of trial and error. Let’s
take a quick look at how to figure out which one is your child’s
primary love language:
- Observe how your child expresses love
to you.
Your child may very well be speaking his or her own love
language without you realizing it. Be particularly aware
of those languages that aren’t natural to you.
- Observe how your child expresses love
to others.
Pay close attention to how your child interacts with the
children and adults to whom your child most often shows
affection.
- Listen to what your child requests most
often.
Most kids aren’t shy about voicing their requests,
preferences, and desires. If you learn to listen “between
the lines” to the things your child is requesting,
you may hear his or her primary love language.
- Listen to your child’s most frequent
complaints.
When you stop to consider their whining and grumbling, the results may surprise you. Their complaints may fall into
a category corresponding with one of the love languages.
- Give your child a choice between two
options.
Try introducing your child to situations where there are
choices between two love languages. Pay close attention
to the decisions made. The love language your child chooses
most often may very well be the primary love language.
Free Resources
The following resources are available to you free of charge to enhance
and encourage the study of my Love Languages series.
- Study Guides
- Videos
- Worksheets
- Newsletters: Issued quarterly with information on
upcoming events and other timely items of interest
- Other Materials
Please enter your name and email address below for access.
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