The Marriage Counseling Blog

Family Therapists have long recommended the bonding process of family rituals to increase communication and create lasting and supporting relationships. There are as many different family rituals as there are families, and no one set of rituals will mean the same thing to everyone.

Family Rituals

• Sports: In a family for whom sports is a priority, a family ritual might involve getting everyone together after supper to enjoy a family game of soccer or evens something as simple as a game of catch. Millions of important conversations have passed between a parent and child while playing ball in the backyard. While the physical body is busy, the mental focus can relax and open up about the day’s events and questions.
• Family Mealtime: One of the most common family rituals is the act of eating together as a family and talking about the events of the day. Family supper gives each individual member the ability to discuss their concerns, events and important thoughts as well as the opportunity to hear about what’s important to others. These interactions promote an environment of commonality, communication, understanding and, above all, support.
• New Schedules, New Rituals: Many families with older children lead incredibly busy lives that force them to schedule suppertime around sports activities, homework and community activities. While family supper was easy to have 4 to 6 times a week when the children were younger, it can be almost impossible as they become older and more involved with their individual lives. In that case, find a time and an activity that you can still do together.

If your family has found itself growing further and further apart, either resurrect an old family ritual or begin a new one that is more in tune with the activities that you all enjoy.

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