Building Strong Families

"The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative."

"Decades of research have shown that most happy families communicate effectively. But talking doesn't mean simply 'talking through problems,' as important as that is. Talking also means telling a positive story about yourselves. When faced with a challenge, happy families, like happy people, just add a new chapter to their life story
that shows them overcoming the hardship. This skill is particularly important for children, whose identity tends to get locked in during adolescence."

"The bottom line: if you want a happier family, create, refine and retell the story of your family's positive moments and your ability to bounce back from the difficult ones. That act alone may increase the odds that your family will thrive for many generations to come."

Feiler, Bruce (2013, March): The Family Stories That Bind Us. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&