Why Maintaining Strong Familial Relationships is Crucial

How important are relationships in your life? Relationships can help you find work and give you a shoulder to cry on. Us humans need people.

It begins in the womb. That’s right; your first relationship started before you were even born. And if you’re fortunate enough to have your mother around today, that first relationship might still be thriving.

Familial relationships are crucial to a child’s development for so many reasons.

A learning experience

If you were raised by parents who weren’t so touchy-feely, you probably aren’t a huge hugger today. This is because our familial relationships teach us how to interact with other people.

If your significant other has trouble saying, “I love you,” it’s probably because his parents didn’t say it often enough. Strong familial relationships teach children how to have relationships with everyone else they’ll encounter in their lifetime. They’ll continue learning from others as they grow, but it all starts at home.

Forming attachments

Familial relationships are a main focus of the principles of attachment parenting. Proponents believe that a securely attached child will learn to go to their parents for comfort, and that will help them develop a sense of love.

But you don’t have to subscribe to all the tenets of this parenting style to get on board with fostering a strong relationship. In many ways, it just makes sense. Children who feel secure may have a better time managing their own feelings. In turn, they may be able to relate to others better.

Children who do not feel secure and loved may have difficulty managing their emotions. They may also have trouble connecting with others.

Familial support

Johnny has struggled with mental health his entire life. He doesn’t feel comfortable talking about it, so he turns to drugs in an effort to self-medicate. Fast forward a few drug-fueled years and Johnny receives a dual-diagnosis of addiction with bipolar disorder.

This fictional example is somewhat of an extreme case of what could happen in the absence of strong familial relationships.

It’s important for us all to feel grounded. You probably have an inner circle of people that may include some close family members. These are people who you can turn to in times of crisis. These are the same people who will revel in your triumphs with you. These are your people.

Well, your child has an inner circle too. It’s you and the rest of your nuclear family. This may change throughout the years, but it’s crucial for everyone to maintain a strong support system.

With a strong familial relationship, your child will learn how to turn to others for support or ask for help.

Friends for life

Every once in a while, you’ll catch a whiff of something that brings you back to a moment in your childhood. Maybe someone is wearing the same perfume as your grandmother did. Or maybe it’s a lilac tree that reminds you of playing with your siblings in your yard.

These are very personal moments, but you’re not the only one who has them. Your brother, sister, mother, father and cousins may all be triggered by the same scents. You have shared experiences with these people who were truly your first friends.

When you’re feeling nostalgic, there’s no one better to reminisce with than a sibling, cousin or parent. These “throwback moments” help reinforce the idea that we aren’t walking this journey of life alone.