This paper presents an encapsulation of research literature delineating characteristics of healthy families and offers them as a brief model of family systems with elevated social interest. Think about how you treat and want to be treated by someone you care about. As i have had the privilege of counseling many families in the past several years, i have also noticed characteristics that help to create a healthy family. For the past decade, the media has bombarded us with stories and. Practical family living articles characteristics of a healthy family. The characteristics of healthy families sterling journal. Characteristics of families served by the child support ivd program. Compare the characteristics of a healthy functional romantic relationship with those of an unhealthy dysfunctional romantic relationship. A few years ago, professor nick stinnett who was the chairman of the department of human development and the family at the university of nebraska at lincoln, launched a fascinating research project on what makes families strong. The following are characteristics of sexually healthy adults however sexual health. This article was written as a summary of a message preached by david platt. Consider the questions below with reference to your childhood experience of family and your own current family situation. The reason for studying the characteristics of a healthy family is to encourage and strengthen the family and to move toward an enriched family life by using the characteristics as bench marks. Pdf this study explored how american and taiwanese students viewed the ideal model of a healthy family in the 1980s and showed that.
The eight most common characteristics of a dysfunctional. Singleparent living, while very chal lenging, also can be the basis of a vital, healthy family. Gary chapman wrote about several characteristics that help families to work well. Healthy relationship characteristics seem like they should be obvious, but sometimes the line of good and bad can feel a little blurry your relationship with your partner should make you feel loved, secure. Practical family living articles characteristics of a. Now that i have my own family husband and three children i find that i am often at a loss to know how to create a warm, close family environment. Despite using an unsophisticated research method, the author has developed a. Researchers across the country and around the world have found that strong families have a wide variety of qualities that contribute to a family s wellbeing. When you understand what a wellfunctioning family unit looks like, you will be able to follow in their footsteps and produce healthy home for your household. Let cooperation, compassion, and kindness be your watchwords.
Consequently, her view of the characteristics of healthy families reflects these diverse experiences while emphasizing the importance of family members feelings about themselves and toward each other. Qualities of healthy families there has been extensive research into what makes for strong families. The following is a list of some qualities that could make for a strong family unit. Here are some key characteristics of a healthy family.
The healthy family honors its old people and welcomes its babies. Family rituals and traditions are a link between the past and the future. If its members have no adaptation skills to find a new balance in a crisis, the functional family will eventually turn into dysfunctional. Instrumental communication is the exchange of factual information that enables individuals to fulfill common family functions, such. There are several common features of healthy, happy families that include cohesiveness, open communication, parents leading by example, conflict management. The more families practices the traits, the more resilient they will be. Members of strong families have difficulties, disagreements, trials and troubles just as everyone else does. A dysfunctional family is a family unit that functions abnormally or inadequately and is, therefore, considered impaired. It is meant to imply growth and change, as families and relationships are dynamic. Healthy relationships are built on more than just physical intimacy, popularity, and other.
By understanding the characteristics of a healthy relationship, you can begin to improve and build new friendships. The reason for studying the characteristics of a healthy family is to encourage and strengthen the family and to move toward an enriched family life by using the. The quality of the relationship is more important than family configuration. Far from the idyllic families that were portrayed on radio and television fifty years ago, families that are depicted in media nowadays are more realistic, in the sense that they often exhibit characteristics of dysfunction.
Characteristics of sexually healthy adults minnesota. Healthy families have variety of traits that provide wellbeing. Still, there are several characteristics that are generally identified with a. Pdf characteristics of a healthy family and family strengths. It is the smallest and most basic social unit, which is also the most important primary group found in any society. I want to give my kids a great family to grow up in something i never had, he said. Fifteen traits commonly found in healthy families by those who work with them. A family can be identified as successful by the characteristics of the individual members, by the characteristics of the family interaction, or by the extent to which it fulfills certain functions considered to be the responsibility of the family. In it, he explored the relationship between missionaries and local churches on the field. Families that are committed to god tend to produce successful godly and moral offspring. I grew up in a family that was very unhealthy and it didnt give me a very good model of what im supposed to do as a parent.
Characteristics of a healthy family relationship healthfully. They may differ from culture and family to family, but the healthy family operates from a clear set of values that emanates from a moral core. Despite using an unsophisticated research method, the author has developed a valid and useful list of. Many parents ask themselves this question, but there is no simple answer, since there can be such broad definitions of the term normal. These family strengths become interwove like a big ball of string collected over time. Traits of a healthy family healthy relationships 101. Ten family characteristics that nurture smart kids dummies.
Although there were significant differences in their views on the characteristics of a healthy family, 16 characteristics were identified by over 85 percent of the college students studied as. For the purposes of this paper, healthy family functioning is defined in terms of a family unit however it is conceived in any given culture effectively coping with cultural, environmental, psychosocial, and socioeconomic stresses throughout the family life cycle. Pdf the characteristics of healthy families as a model. I dont really know what a healthy family is supposed to look like. The very word is likely to conjure up mixed emotions in most of us. Qualities of healthy families taking the escalator. Sharing your life with a happy healthy family is for many of us, one of our most important goals. In order to provide a supportive, emotionally healthy family. The first dimension locus of health or pathology refers to whether family health is described in terms.
They are the product of hard work, intentional behavior, shared interests, common values and patience. Healthy families have very clear boundaries on how family members treat other members. If the relationship is still in the early stages, a healthy couple at least likes each other in a way thats more than just lust. If you mean a healthy functioning family, it means children that are able to express themselves without feeling judged or ridiculed, children that feel stable at home. Pick out one or two ideas and write out a simple plan of action that. Characteristics of successful family businesses danny klinefelter a family business is defined as one in which members of a family have a controlling ownership interest and occupy one or more leadership positions. Although every family is different, there are certain characteristics that healthy families share. Having studied the work of a number of respected sources, i put together a list of eight characteristics that describe a healthy family.
The role of the law is usually one of defining and enforcing rights and obligations of the individuals. Charateristics of a strong and healthy family part 2. Here are some of the most vital characteristics of healthy families, from a biblical perspective. A healthy family is one in which the needs of the family members are being met. Healthy, happy, productive families dont just happen. Strong families reflect positive and healthy qualities. Rick peterson and stephen green, in an article for the virginia cooperative extensions families first series, maintains that family communication can be divided into two areas, instrumental and affective 2 4. Characteristics of a healthy, functional romantic relationship a healthy functional intimate relationship is based on equality and respect, not power and control. Brainstorm ways to strengthen a certain trait in your family. The family members play together, and humour is present. In healthy families, members expect to give up time, energy. Meaningful participation of family members in activities outside the home characteristics of productive families gilmore. Ensure that each person knows the important role they play in the family and understands that this role sometimes involves pitching in and making sacrifices to strengthen family life.
In contrast, in unhealthy relationships, one partner tries to exert control and power over the other physically, sexually, andor emotionally. Your partner is someone who supports you and has fun with you. This core and its resultant values permits the family to. The lack of a definition of the family in the law stems partly from the fact that the family has no legal status separate from its members. The six characteristics discussed in this article are based on what ive learned from some of the top experts in the field. A guide for parents in recovery by linda k sibley the father looked sad as he sat in our confident kids parents group. Standing together, friends can encourage each other to do amazing things in life. The family members affirms and supports all its members. They allow people outside of their immediate family to help in times of need and are willing to get help outside of the family unit. This is a composite of characteristics that consistently appear on the lists of those who have spent half of their lives working in the trenches with families counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, researchers, and authors. With young children, be sure to talk on their level so they will understand. The eight most common characteristics of a dysfunctional family. The healthy family teaches a sense of right and wrong.
A study was once done on two early american characters, max jukes and jonathan edwards. Characteristics of sexually healthy adults pdf from a holistic perspective, sexual health includes emotional, psychological, physical, intellectual and spiritual dimensions. Characteristics of a healthy family the healthy family tends to communicate well and listen to all members. In his book, five signs of a functional family, dr. The exciting news, however, is that healthy friendships are a winwin situation. Most children love the sense of security, which surrounds the traditions, and rituals each family brings to special occasions such as birthdays, easter and christmas. Top 10 characteristics of healthy relationships betterhelp. The reason for tudying the characteristics of a healthy family is to encourage and strengthen the family to move toward an enriched family life. The family is flexible enough to adapt to circumstances, although this requires a change of rules or roles. She has identified one major individual characteristic of family members and three family system characteristics satir, 1967, 1972. When you understand what a wellfunctioning family unit looks like, youll know what changes you may need to make in your own household. Six characteristics of strong families pal the parents. Pdf characteristics of a healthy family and family. The family is an intimate domestic group made up of people related to one another by bonds of blood, sexual mating or legal ties.
1488 962 1172 220 1595 472 1179 622 553 1272 1440 989 737 798 848 986 568 576 1565 1583 939 363 284 314 544 927 916 39 5 952 1270 158 684