What It Takes To Build Strong Family Relationships

Building Trust
Positive Encouragement
Words to Encourage Your Family
Healthy Communication Style
Spending Quality Time with Your Family

Building Trust

PARENTS
· Don't always assume kids are lying, don't be suspicious all the time.
· Don't ask the same questions over and over.
· Trust your teen's choice in friends.
· Be open and truthful with your teen.
· Let your teen go out with their friends sometimes, but get the information on where he/she is going.

TEENS
· Be honest with your parents. If you aren't, your parents won't trust you next time.
· Trust what your parents are doing could be right, because they are working for your benefit.

Think about trust in your family.

Positive Encouragement

PARENTS
· Let them learn from their own mistakes.
· Don't compare your son/daughter with someone else because it will lower their self-esteem.
· Even if they get bad grades don't yell at them. Try and talk to them and ask them what happened so they can improve in the future.
· Encourage them in whatever they want to do so they know that you support them.
· Don't criticize or insult; encourage, compliment. When they don't meet up to your expectations, give positive reinforcement, don't push them down further.
· Show interest in your teens' lives
· Give kids a reason to like being at home.

TEENS
· Discuss your problems with your parents. Let them try to help you out.
· If you feel that you are not getting enough support from your parents, ask them.
· Compliment your parents on something they have done.
· Share feelings so you can help each other out in certain problems that need to be solved.
· Make time for your parents
· Try to talk to them like a friend
· Try to understand parent's feelings

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Words to Encourage Your Family

Parents can tell their teens: Good job, keep up the good work! You're a good kid! Wow, good job! Do you have enough money to spend? How about a vacation ? Good grades! What a nice outfit! That looks nice on you . You're pretty! Wow, so handsome! Did you eat yet? Way to go! That's how you do it. Nice try. Nice work. You're home early. Did you have fun? That's a good thing you did. Keep up the good work! Good going!

Teens can tell their parents: I love you. Please and Thank you. Wow, good job Mom/Dad! Do you want a massage? Hey, you look pretty! Can I help you with anything? Happy mother's day. Happy father's day. Happy birthday. You got a nice hair cut! You're smart. That was a good dinner .

Think about positive encouragement in your family.

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Healthy Communication Style

PARENTS
· Try to listen to your teens and try not to cut them off. Let them finish what they want to say.
· Know when is a good time to talk.
· Hang out together more often and try to find similar interests, that way you have something to talk to your teens about.
· When teens do something bad, don't always yell.
· Let your children finish talking before speaking.
· Make eye contact and avoid being distracted when talking.
· Don't reject everything your teen says.

TEENS
· Listen to what your parents say, don't interrupt them.
· If you don't like what your parents say, respond in a calm way.
· Don't give an attitude or yell.
· Try to talk as opposed to argue.
· Don't always think you're right.
· Don't make a face when your parents are talking to you.

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Spending Quality Time Together

Here are some activities that you can do together with your family.

Go shopping Go walking Go to an amusement park Help Mom or Dad with work Take care of grandchildren Have a BBQ Visit relatives and friends Teach and learn from each other Travel somewhere new or special Exercise Wash the car Take car rides around the neighborhood

Go fishing Tell back in the day stories Eat lunch/brunch/dinner Take vacation Have picnics Go camping Take holidays See fireworks Paint a house Go to the zoo Go to Disneyland Talk about news

Think about communication style in your family.