Is Your Family Important to You

Table of Contents What is a FamilyWhy Should Your Family be Important to YouWhat Should You Do for…
A family like your family together on a picnic

I wonder if your family is as important to you as mine is to me.

Well, you are the best person to judge your own family. All I can say is, though your family is your own personal matter, this is an important question for you to consider.

With this question, two more questions that come to my mind are, first, why should your family be important to you? Secondly, what should you do to make your family feel important?

Further, if you think that your family is really the most special thing for you, what are you doing for it?

Most people think that it’s the family that matters most in their life. And many people, even knowing this, do nothing about it. They just take it for granted, which is not right.

Through today’s post I wish to make you aware that if your family IS important to you, then you need to make sincere efforts to take care of it.

What is a Family

The word “family” is a very broad term. It holds a larger meaning than the conventional family that consists of only parents and their children.

A family also includes an extended family, or a foster family, or people who are like family to you even if not related by blood or marriage.

Even if you’re not married, you might still have a family consisting of your immediate family members or close friends who are almost like a family.

You might or might not have a feeling of belonging and attachment to any or all of these families. But generally, family is the one to which you feel you belong to and where you feel at home.

A family is your safe den, your recharge point, your caring and motivational center, and your identity.

Read on to know more reasons that will make you realize that your family is important.

“You have a lifetime to work, but children are only young once.” ~ Polish Proverb

Why Should Your Family be Important to You

If something is important to you, you naturally start taking care of it. Caring for your family can benefit you. Let’s logically analyze this.

You care for your wife and children. They care about each other, including you, which make all of you care for one another. This caring network helps develop a strong family bond, trust, and positive vibes.

Strong family ties mean dependability and understanding among one another. This results in the development of love among the family members, and reduces the chances of having family conflicts.

Love in the family gives you the emotional support that helps overcome many other hurdles in life, and helps your grow as a person.

Your family becomes your strength in tough times, or when you face family traumas, and family stress. It takes care of you and supports you.

A strong and loving family gives you a sense of security, satisfaction, peace, and happiness. It gives a feeling of being cared and loved.

It all happens when you prioritize your family in your life.

Aren’t these reasons good enough to prove that your family should be important to you?

Let’s use an analogy to understand the importance of a family. I’m sure you all are aware of the banking process.

Your family is like an account in the bank of life. With every investment you make in your family, your bank or life balance increases and you become richer, in terms of happiness.

On the other hand, if you do not make the investment, the bank balance or happiness does not increase. Moreover, it can even decrease with the reduction of your investment.

With every family investment you make, which should be unconditional in nature, there are returns in the form of love, care, and respect from all the family members, especially the children.

Of course, there might be some exceptional cases where even your best efforts do not yield immediate fruits, but that shouldn’t stop you from keep trying.

Children are your future long-term deposits, and you need to invest in them fully, not for the sake of getting anything in return, but for their better future.

Inculcating values, like instilling gratitude, and filling them up with your love helps them grow into loving and successful individuals.

Watch this video and see a meaningful message for your family.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvCaj_4A-1Q&w=620&h=360&rel=0]

My Most Important Message to You: Be Family Centered!
HeatherMadder ~ You Tube Video

Do not get scared by a family centered life, as that does not take away your individuality or freedom.

Also, being a family guy or girl in a modern family doesn’t mean that you’ve to be unprofessional and slacken in your work. Being a family person not only brightens up your family life but also sharpens your work life.

You feel better, loved, secure, supported, and have a greater motivation to progress and excel in your job.

In my analogy, I kept referring to “investment.” And you too probably wonder what that would be. Read on to know that.

“Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.” ~ Jim Rohn

What Should You Do for Your Family

If you want to make your family important or more precious than your other tasks, as I said earlier, you need to make some unconditional investments.

The term investment used here does not relate to money. And it is not something that you purposely seek any returns from. It is an unconditional giving that you do.

This investment is of devoting your time and love. There are many other factors that help make your family feel special and important.

However, family time and family love are the two essentials ingredients. And by including them in your family life, you can make your family feel special.

“It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family.” ~ Philip Green

Give Quality Family Time to Your Family

The only gift you can give your family is the gift of your time, which holds more meaning to them than any kind of materialistic gifts.

You need to devote time for your family, which you can carve out from your busy schedule either on a daily basis or over the weekends.

For example, once in a week you can decide that you are going to spend an hour with your family. Make sure that during this time you do no other work – no office calls, no work related meetings – nothing.

Just be present with your family whole-heartedly, without any kind of thoughts other than that of your family.

Involve yourself or start family bonding activities, plan a get together, and other family time activities. Your children will love this, and value and respect you more.

Check out my other posts Why family time is important, How to make quality family time, and 3 ways to create family bonding time, to know more about how you can make family time and what you should do to make your family feel important.

There may be cases of exception where people cannot give dedicated time to their family because of the nature of their work or job.

In such cases, where your physical presence is not possible, you can send cards and gifts, or call often to talk to your family members. This reduces the distance and shows that you’re concerned and emotionally involved.

On the contrary, if you do not show your involvement through emotional or other means and ways, it might seem as if your family is not important to you. You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?

“Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world.” ~ Mother Teresa

Express Your Love to Your Family

We all appreciate and need love in our lives. Mostly it is thought of in context to boyfriends, girlfriends, or spouses.

There are many designated days to express love to your dear ones such as Valentine’s Day. But do you express your love for your family, which includes your children and other immediate family members?

If your family really matters and is important to you; you need to show or prove it by expressing your feelings and love for your family.

Paying a compliment, helping around, giving a hug or kiss, and even forgiving a wrong deed are some of the ways to show your love for your family.

Expressing love to your children is so necessary and important. Love and emotions deeply impact a child’s psyche and development, including his or her thinking and behavior, and so the personality.

Children grow intellectually or emotionally in a loving family; as mentioned in this news report that describes the research proving it.

If you do not express love in the family, chances are that the children will suffer from emotional problems. The lack of love might damage their emotional and intellectual development, or delay their emotional maturity.

If you give love to your family, the family members would count on you and come to you in times of their difficulty, need, or just to share things with you.

Your children too would trust you and confide in you, and you may become their friend more than just a parent. You might even help prevent them from taking wrong decisions or going on a wrong path.

It is also essential that parents in a family should love each other and let their children see and know of it.

Children not only feel secure seeing loving parents but they also try to imbibe the loving nature into their personal lives.

You can use any occasion to shower your love to those who matter most in your life – especially your family.

Tell your children that you love them, and you can do so even on Valentines’ Day! Here’s my post about how to spend Valentine’s Day with your family.

I’ve another video for you about how to express your love to your family.


Creating a Successful Family – Express your Love ~ 5minParenting ~ Dailymotion Video

“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” ~ Richard Bach

If your family is important to you, which it should be, then you need to cater it with your family time and family love. You have to give your family a preference, and you’ll always find it in your heart and mind.

Your prioritization will make your family feel very special, and your active involvement will mean a lot to your wife and children.

Express your love, love your family, and have a great time together. Always remember that your family is important, so always keep it as your priority.

Over to you

How important is your family to you? What do you do to make your family feel special? Do you benefit by prioritizing your family? How do you express your love to your family? Share in the comments below.

Photo Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos

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  1. That’s a wonderful way to invest in your family and strengthen your relationships with your siblings and parents. Just like a financial investment, investing in your family’s well-being can yield valuable returns in the form of love, support, and a deeper connection with your loved ones

  2. Hi Harleena,

    I like the analogy with the bank/family. My way to invest in my family is by taking care of my siblings and parents’ needs. I try to help them in practical ways. It’s easy to grab the phone and ask your brother how he is doing. What about giving him a few thousand dollars when you see that his family needs it?

  3. You have done a great job, Harleena. The way in which you explained importance of family logically i.e family importance is like bank. I mean wooowww how do you get these words? Moreover, i agree with your statement that in family or any relation, today the need is only TIME and LOVE not money.

    I just remembered a scene in which this words come true.

    Once a busy father came to his home at 10 P.M, His wife and his child are waiting for him, when came to home. Then his 4 year old boy asks him “Papa how many Rupees you earn in one hour?” His father get very angry on him and said, “who are you to ask me this? You know i earn Rupees 200 per hour.” The boy feel sad and start crying as father show anger on him. He went to his room, and just broke his piggy bank and came back to his father and said “Papa please take these Rupees 100 and please come tomorrow half hour before we want dinner with you” Father shocked and totally silence there. He take boy in his arms. Now he felt what he is doing wrong with their family.

    So i want to say that Family or any relation does not require any money but only TIME and LOVE.
    and for me My family is everything. Nothing more then my family.

    Thanks for the post m’am.

    1. Hi Inderjit,

      Glad you liked the post. 🙂

      Ah…I am a person who deals with words day in and day out – so they are easy flow for me. Family is important and it should always stand beyond money and work.

      Nice to hear the story you mentioned. It’s a fact that kids miss their busy parents who aren’t able to spend time with them, and they have various ways to express how they feel. I just wish more parents would realize the importance of their family and give them more time.

      Thanks for stopping by and contributing to the post 🙂

  4. For me family is first then friends and then relationships in today’s world relationships have lost their worth all i feel

    1. Welcome to the blog Allii!

      Yes indeed, family always should come first, before friends or any other kind of relationship. However, such is not the case in some cases, and that’s when the family suffers – isn’t it?

      Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  5. Hi Harleena,

    Family is first for me, relationships then friends. When a probably come up like family and friends ask me to go out in the same time, I’d definitely choose to go with my family and have my friends please to go out another time.

    Thank you – Ferb

    1. I ditto that Ferb – it remains right on top for me too!

      I guess all other things come and go, but family is what always stays with us – isn’t it? Yes, friends do hold their own place, but if we have to choose between the two, family is first. Hope more people realize the importance of spending more time with their families.

      Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  6. Bond of love among the family members develop only when they are caring for one another. Without care it is impossible to make a good foundation of a family. One must spare some time for one’s family each day.

    1. Nice to have you back Maja!

      Absolutely! Care, feelings, and love is what binds a family and that’s how they stay together. All this IS possible, provided you are able to devote time for your family, and most of us do I think because our families are important – isn’t it?

      Thanks for stopping by. Hoping to see you around more often. 🙂

  7. That’s right. No one can give support better than a loving family especially if they love you back. Thanks for the post Harleena.

    1. Absolutely Farouk!

      Nothing works like the love of a family, so family IS important to each one of us. I guess when you are in a family the bonding is bound to be there. I just hope and pray more people are able to take out time for their families and spend time with them.

      Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  8. Family is one of the most important part of life. Now days, a lot of people started living in nuclear family because they think that living away from their mom, dad and other family members will reduce the expenses and stress. But this is not right staying away from family cannot give happiness at all. The real happiness is living with family. In my opinion Family is the most important part of life.

    1. Welcome to the blog Atish!

      Yes indeed, family IS important and I wish more people would realize and understand this simple fact. I agree that living away from your own loved ones doesn’t bring you love and happiness, instead it’s their blessings, guidance, and presence you need in your lives.

      Family is what actually bonds and keeps us together – isn’t it? And it’s for them that we earn and bear the responsibility. Hope more people realize this simple fact and spend time with their family, and change their ways and thoughts.

      Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  9. A family is a blessing, and when we are close, even more so. Blood is indeed thicker than water, and I am lucky that our family, though full of diverse people, is close. Love them.

    And love your post 🙂 Thank you.

    1. I’m glad you love the post, Vidya!

      I’d like to add to your cliché – blood is indeed thicker than water – love is regarded stronger than blood. Sometimes blood fails, but love always wins. I’m happy that you’ve love in the family, which really makes it important and a true blessing.

      Thanks for your reflections. 🙂

  10. So true, family is very important to our life. You need to show your love for them and spend more time before it is too late.
    I love my family and I can give all that I can to make them happy. 🙂

    1. Welcome to the blog, Sara!

      I’m sorry for the late reply. I totally agree with you that we need to show love for our family and spend more time with them. Who’s seen tomorrow and who knows what will happen, so all the more reason to treasure our moments together and make the best of them.

      Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  11. It is within the family that our kids learn first and where their personality is shaped, hence what they become as they grow up is greatly influenced by the manner of how we nurture them. Putting our family at the top of your priorities is one way of showing how important they are to us.

    The more we spend time with our family the more chances we have of getting close to each.

    1. Welcome to the blog Felicia!

      You’ve explained and summarized the topic well. If your family is important to you, then you put your family at the top of your priorities. If you do not do that, then we’re forced to ask “Is your family important to you?”

      As children, family is what shapes us; as parents, family is what we need to nurture. Family is important to everybody, and as you rightly say, we should all spend as much time together as possible.

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. 🙂

  12. I am a little teary eyed after reading this. I think most of us at points in our lives tend to take our family for granted. I know I was guilty of that until 2009 when my mom, my heart, the glue to our family lost her fight with cancer. We were already a small family and her loss was devastating to all of us. We once had family get together two to three times a month and today I can’t even tell you the last time I’ve seen any of them besides my wife and kids of course. I miss them all so dearly and wish I could change things back to the way they were.

    I am going to get on the phone tomorrow. I LOVE my family!

    Thanks for this post. (I know my comments were random, but it got my emotions stirring.)

    1. Welcome to the blog Joe!

      I’m glad you could resonate with the post and that it prompts you to be with your extended family, like the old days. I’m sure those will fill-in some gaps and bring more happiness in your families.

      You’re right. Most of us take our family for granted and get entangled in affairs that aren’t as pure and as good as a family. I’m sorry about your mom, and I am sure you’ll change the things to have the family get together as you used to have when she was there.

      I value your emotions. I think you should set them free and let them force to make you act. I wish you all the best.

      Thanks for stopping by 🙂

      P.S.: I can approve your site link in the comment only if you’ve your name on your website.

    1. We all have our share of experiences in life. I know you’re strong, I’m happy for that. 🙂

    1. I thank the almighty for everything, good or bad that is happening or has happened in my life, because firstly, that is what brought me to my present position, which I love. Secondly, I could’ve been in worse conditions and situations, and I’m glad I wasn’t.

      That’s my perspective. I’d say you’re very rich, in experience. Already the best seller? 🙂

  13. I didn’t have an ideal childhood but it did help to shape my character. Through self-reflection and studying, I realized my parents did the best they could based on how they were raised and my grandparents did the best they could based on how they were raised and so on. All is forgiven.

    My mom, sister, niece and nephew are most important to me. My mom is extremely supportive of my writing career; she believes in me and my writing. She just wishes I’d get my BIG BREAK sooner rather than later. 🙂 I’m working on it.

    Since all of us live together, we’ve become closer as a family. It’s not always easy because we’d like to be in our own spaces; however, I think it’s been good for my niece and nephew. They’re no longer in a ‘toxic’ home environment and are surrounded by people who believe they can do anything they want so long as they put their minds to it. I don’t tell them what to do and don’t place my expectations upon them. If my niece and nephew need or want my advice or help, they know where to find me. They have every right to make their own mistakes and learn the lessons from them. I won’t interfere with their growth.

    1. Glad to have you over at the blog Amandah!

      It’s so nice to know that you care so much for your family, especially your concern for your niece and nephew. I do remember you wrote about them earlier too, and am sure they would be liking and loving the family bonding that you’ve in the family.

      It’s great how you developed such understanding, and took up everything positively. That’s the attitude you’ve, and I’m sure it’s going to prove your best asset in your writing career too. Family support too is crucial, but self-reflection is no doubt the best tool to develop insights and understanding for success.

      Living together in a family can be fun and good, and especially for children who get to learn a lot of socializing and other things. I know you want the kids to have a good and memorable childhood that may be you missed, but then that sacrifice gave you something in return and you’re thankful to that. It’s nice to know more about you, and I too join your mother in making the best wishes for you!

      Thanks for sharing your personal life story about your family, God bless! 🙂

  14. I’m the person that I am today because of my family, and I’m very happy with that. Keep in mind that your family is about the only people in the world that will love you unconditionally, and they will be there for you when no one else is. That being said you should make sure to treat them the way you would want to be treated or better, and do everything in your power to let them know how you feel about them. Spending time with your family is probably the most important thing that you can do to nurture that relationship.

    1. Welcome to the blog, Kevin!

      It’s good to know that you feel so good being family-centered. The gratitude you’ve towards your family will be an important ingredient in creating a strong family bond. You’re absolutely right when you say that family is your home and your best friend too!

      Expressing how you feel and think about your family or for that matter any relationship is so important. And, if you also have quality time with your family, nothings better ever!

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing your family views, do visit again 🙂

  15. Harleena,

    This is such a wonderful post Harleena. You’ve explained the importance of family so well.

    People often ask me what was the catlyst that set me asail on my current adventure and although it was many things like the economy, my love to travel and education. The thing that pushed me over the edge was my love and the need to create a stronger relationship with my husband and my kids.

    Living abroad and travelling creates a unique situation where we literally spend more time together and do more things than we used to do when we lived our crazy hectic 9 to 5 lifestyle. I get to see my children everyday, do things with them. Explore new things together. I could go on. but I truly believe a lot of people get so sucked into building their idea life for them and their kids but forget about the relationship part. Before they know it the kids are grown and almost ready to leave the nest.

    ps:
    love the little videos you add to your posts Harleena.

    1. Glad that you like the post and the videos too Annie!

      You family fascinates me, and I’m sure you all do have a lot of quality family time and great family bonding. Since experience is the greatest teacher, you’re giving an invaluable treasure to your children, something that others are not so privileged to have.

      Relationship in a family is so important that you mention, which most of us either ignore, neglect, or take it for granted. Reading your comment I come to realize really how little time the kids will be with us, and it becomes all the more important to spend more time with them.

      Your choice and decision to have a great time with your family will definitely be a turning point in your family and build happiness for life. I’m happy for you. 🙂

      Thanks for telling us how your family is important to you! 🙂

  16. I left home when I was 20 years old and it has taken me 20 years to realize the importance of family. Thank you for a great article. It makes me want to rebuild that bond more.

    1. Welcome to the blog Cynthia!

      I’m glad you could find something worthwhile to take away from the post.

      I believe what is past and gone should be forgotten after extracting the good lessons from it. May be you can look at it with optimism and hope that you’ve probably another 20 or more years to make up for the 20 that you missed with your family. It’s never too late!

      Thanks for stopping by, do visit again! 🙂

  17. What a wonderful post Harleena. I have a feeling you know how important family is to me.

    I grew up in a middle class family where my parents weren’t very affectionate. They never told us they loved us only because they never were told themselves. My brother and I made a conscious decision probably in our early teens that we would show them how to be affectionate. From there it just continued.

    Growing up I rebelled like most kids do because my Mom was very strict. I didn’t do anything bad but I wanted to do what I wasn’t allowed. But I began to appreciate them both so very much and they have always been there for me. My parents are the true rock of our family. I’m not extremely close to my brother or sister although if I needed something I could call them both and they would be there for me or help me to the best of their ability.

    Since I don’t have any children of my own, our family traditions remain centered around my Mom. We all just appreciate her so very much and want to be there for her as long as possible since losing my Dad over nine years ago.

    Family should remain the center of everyone’s universe I believe. I couldn’t really see it being any other way for me.

    ~Adrienne

    1. Glad you liked the post Adrienne!

      Yes, I know how concerned you’re about your mother and family, and I was waiting for your comment. 🙂

      It’s interesting and good to know that you did not fall for the trap of “patterns,” or being like your parents. You chose the opposite path, and even tried to change your family environment to bring in affection and the expression of love.

      Neither did you let your rebellious nature develop into critical opinion of your parents in your later age. Instead, you admired and appreciated them more with time.

      Who else but you can know better the value of expression of love and emotions, fun and togetherness in a family? I’m amazed how you defied the script that was to be written by your family, and wrote your own in the way you wanted.

      You do have a bond in the family, and that is very important; you’ve a family net to fall back upon. It makes me happy to know how much you love and care for you mother even when she’s old, something that every child needs to learn.

      Thanks for sharing your personal life story and beautiful views about your family 🙂

  18. Hi Harleena,

    “A strong and loving family gives you a sense of security, satisfaction, peace, and happiness. It gives a feeling of being cared and loved.” I like this and it also gives you a soft place to fall when needed.

    One thing that I have found that is very important, is to teach your children about family when they are young, bacause as they grow and start making there own choices more you want to be a good example for them so they pick the right person to fall in love with and make that life time commitment.

    If the wrong choice is made when it comes to a spouse that spouse can tear a family apart. As a family we have to learn to let the new comers in with open arms and sometimes if they don’t know how a family should really be, we can be their teachers and they will learn to grow and love every minute.

    Thanks again and the video’s are a great addition to the post,
    Blessings to you,
    debbie

    1. Glad that you liked the post and the videos Debbie!

      I agree with your suggestion that parents should impart the knowledge to their children when young about family, and the roles different family members should ideally play.

      Children believe what they see, and quickly learn what they experience, and so is the case with behaviors with regards to relations.

      It’s true that children when they grow up are influenced by how their parents live and behave at home, and might look for a similar life partner and family life. The better parents we can become, probably would make our children’s family life better too.

      You must be a very good mother-in-law. It’s not easy for a person, especially girls to shift to another family, and if what you mentioned is followed, am sure the adjustment process would be very smooth.

      Thanks for stopping by and for your wise thoughts and suggestions. 🙂

      1. Thank Harleena. I try to be a good mother-in-law and what I am doing seems to work. Though I do have some great son-in-laws to work with.

        So far it seems that my girls are great daughter and sister-in -laws. I am blessed very much.
        thanks again and have a good day.
        Debbie

        1. It’s good to know that you’ve a great family, and probably you are reaping something that you sow long back. I wish you keep having a great time with your family. Thanks.

    1. You’re welcome. I got to know about Heather when I saw this awesome video on YouTube. Her site has more amazing stuff!

      Thanks for reading the post, Jodi. 🙂

  19. Hi Harleena,

    I value my family, but to be honest, it’s not my first priority 🙂 My parents devoted enormous time, effort and most of things for me to make me successful person. But we don’t take much time to be together and discuss. Sometimes kinda individualistic. I’m a silent guy here but it’s not true when it comes to my friends and others who are friendly with me. You know that 😉 So I see a distance here though we are one family, but I really don’t need to make my family in future be like that.

    When I engage with other families, I can feel how a family relationship help to build interpersonal and other skills of family members. Home is the first school and if family bonds are very strong, I do really think it can build up confidence in everyone which leads to successful individuals. Sometimes I feel alone 🙂 But I don’t go beyond that and worry about it much. I really love to satisfied with what I have as always. My mother is most loving person for me in this family but we talk less too. We have that relationship, but it’s stuck somewhere. However, now I’m mostly focused on my future family and I wanna change the attitude of my current family members through that too. Wanna make a change when I can to feel the value behind it 🙂

    Cheers…

    1. Glad you could take out time to comment on the post Mayura!

      Time needs to be taken out of your schedule, if it can’t fit in it. Right! I feel happy when my blog readers give me their time, similarly, children too feel happy when their parents give them their time. I believe emotions should flow free in a family; they really create life or liveliness. Lack of parental interaction and their emotional involvement could negatively impact the children.

      May be as you grew up, with time your family got distanced a bit. You do not feel very open, as interaction and expression is missing. And you see and can understand the difference when you engage with other families. I’m sure that made you realize how important a family is.

      But I’m happy that you want to change, yourself and your family. The best thing is that you want to break the “pattern.” I’m sure when you’ve your own family, and you fill it up with your time and love, you will like the change you see in your children.

      Here’s wishing you all the best with all the change that you plan, and thanks for sharing your life and experiences with all. 🙂

  20. Harleena,

    First I want to tell you how much I truly appreciate your posts! Being a advocate for fathers and fatherhood, I love the way you promote the simple things in life that people often forget. Thank you Harleena for supporting family and exceptional values!!!

    As a Social Worker I can’t tell you the number of times I have spoken to people that had no clue about how family worked. They didn’t have any concepts of what a “life long emotional” bank was or what the benefits might be. Sadly, I found many of these families were generational in the types of problems they had., everything from domestic violence to emotional abuse.

    Being an advocate for fatherhood and promoting fathers as good role models I have found that men who ignore there family responsibilities are the men that have the most regrets later in life. I have been told by those men than they wish someone would have taken the time to try and explain the importance of fatherhood and families when they were younger so they didn’t have to live with a lifetime of regrets later in life when they actually needed people and family the worse.

    As for me I can tell you I work my hardest not to have those regrets later. I know that it is my family and the connections we make throughout life that make life worth living.

    Aaron

    1. Glad you like my posts Aaron, I’m humbled!

      What you just mentioned comes as a shock to me. How could some men be so clueless about family, raising up kids, and fatherhood. But as you say it’s a “pattern” that continues because these people do not change (may be due to lack of awareness). Unless you change, you cannot improve, and I’m sure when you interact with these people, most of them would give a damn to even the idea of improvement.

      I appreciate the work you do and the efforts you put in to raise awareness of why men need to be good fathers, and how responsible they are for better development of their children. I would like to tell you that I wrote a post on being a good father, may be you missed that.

      I think even after such men feel the regret, they can undo their doing a bit by sharing their newly gained awareness with their grandchildren, if not their own children. That might help to break the continual pattern, don’t you think so?

      That’s a strong message you give: “family makes life worth living.”

      Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience, I am sure it’ll benefit everyone. 🙂

      1. Thank you for the wonderful comments Harleena! I try to show lots of humor, passion and love in all the things I do. I think they are very important in being a great father!

        A few things I have discovered in working with families (men in general) is that society has put such great emphasize on men not showing emotions and feelings that men are conflicted when they have those feelings.

        Statistics show that men are more likely to be successful in suicide I believe this is true for a few reason. When a man becomes depressed they don’t understand it is okay to have those emotions, they don’t know how to process them and they won’t ask others for help.

        Television, books, magazine all place emphasize on mother’s (I have no problem with this.) I do have a problem when they rarely show men a positive or supportive family role. How can we teach our young boys to become successful fathers if they are constantly being shown negativity? I have been told by families dads aren’t good parents. I have always told them the importance of fathers and occasionally fathers have to be given a chance to prove they can be successful in this area.

        You mentioned about the grandfathers and I always hold out hope for this to be true and would never deny this factor is in play. It is is never too late for a man to change. I would tell any father or potential father to be careful of depending on this though. If you spend so little time with your own children now…..your own child might not want you to visit with their kids and could make it very difficult for you.

        Aaron

        PS I am going to look for your post on fatherhood next!

        1. I agree. Kids love to have a father who is interactive, a role model, and fun to be with.

          But most men are still stuck with the identity they developed for centuries of being caretakers and providers. They believe emotions weaken a man. I have seen at places where men are forbidden to even nurture their own small babies or play with them, and all they can do is show their machoness by being indifferent, emotionless, and strict.

          I think men need to develop their capability of handling emotions in a family, including its production, processing, and exhibition. However, I can say my husband is an exception like many others, and he is more sensitive and emotional than myself, though avoids showing his tears in front of all. He’s very concerned about parenting, and loves to interact with our children.

          Media has a very influential role on us all. It definitely has the power of bringing a social change to some extent. I agree that depiction of fathers as role models and good parent can help create a positive image and awareness among all.

          I wish you all the best in your fatherhood awareness drive; efforts never go in vain, and a change starts from a small beginning. I believe the world will change when all fathers start giving their time and love to their family. 🙂

  21. Beautiful post again, Harleena,

    The family is the the root of our society. A lot of problematic individuals come the family, how they were raised. So family, basically, has the duty of raising stable individuals that will be an asset to society versus a source of problem, or worst, even a danger.

    I agree that the most important thing you can do for your family is spending time with it. Having children and putting them in day care from 2 months of age until they are old enough to go to school is not a good thing in my book. I will never understand how people see this as “normal” under the pretext that they have to make a living. When there is a will, there is a way, right?

    Thank you for bringing about this important subject.

    1. Glad you like the post Sylviane!

      You’re right. A family is indeed a building block of our society, the country, and the world. Everything shapes up depending upon how individuals in a family are raised up. That makes a family and parenting all the more so very important.

      Definitely being parents you’ve to make sacrifices for your family. The first three years of a child are very important for his or her development, and this phase should ideally have lots of interaction with the parents. I agree with you that mothers should try to look after their children personally as much as possible in this period, but we should understand it might not be possible to do so for the working women no matter how much they will it.

      However, you very much conveyed the point that family time and love are important to even small babies. Thanks for your thoughts and contribution to the post. 🙂

  22. Hi Harleena,

    You explained the importance of family so well. Families are so important and they are always there for us, when we need support the most.

    Indeed, it is such an crucial topic, and one which we need to be reminded of. In this day and age, with people always busy trying to achieve this or that, family can be neglected. Like you said, showing that you care can be as simple as just being with our families, fully and completely for periods of time, without any external distractions.

    I love to eat out with my family and if one of us doesn’t feel like eating out, we enjoy getting a takeaway! 🙂

    1. Glad you find the post relevant, Hiten!

      We need to understand that being family-centered is not detrimental to our work or career. In fact, by neglecting your family, you damage your foundation and the roots that hamper your personal growth. It is possible to find a balance between work and family, if you only try to work it out, even in this fast world.

      You’ve told us all a good way to be together sharing time and love besides the food, and that’s not too difficult, is it?

      Thanks for contributing to the post. 🙂

  23. All my children are adopted or foster. One came to me as a baby, one as a toddler, and three as teenagers. All are from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. My point is that we all came to this family from other families, and yet we are a family together. It’s a wonderful thing.

    1. Glad to know your views, Galen!

      It’s surely a wonderful thing, and a wonderful family that you have! You’ve given a perfect example that it’s not blood that defines a family. It is the mutual love, trust, care, and concern that come when you put each other on priority along with a feeling of belongingness that makes a family.

      Thanks for sharing your personal life example to add value to the post 🙂

  24. Hello Harleena,

    For me family is my parents and my siblings and I just can’t stress how important they are to me. I know many have their own kind of experiences with their families, but mine has been very good. There has been ups and down but what I learnt from them is how we need to stand together so that we have just good memories to share.

    In today’s fast paced world I think one is in touch through social media with everyone, but their families. Being in constant touch with them will help a lot in nurturing the relationship further and making it much more precious. My sister and my brother live in different countries, but we make sure we talk to each other at least every two to three days!

    Here’s to our building blocks and the most important treasure of our lives – families!

    1. Glad to have you over, Hajra!

      You’ve added an important aspect that affects the families – the social media. A lot of people get too involved in it and tend to ignore their families. In fact, I did write a post on it long time back.

      One has to strike a balance between personal, family, work, and social media lives. You’ve set your priorities right, and you just described how your family benefits from it. If all members prioritize their family, it becomes easy to stay and stand together.

      Communication, as you pointed out, is one key element that conveys your priority, concern, and the intention to nurture the relationship. Family is indeed a building block of our lives – well said.

      Thanks for adding more value to this family post 🙂

  25. What would we be without our families, Harleena? I’m so glad that family was a very important value for us growing up. My Dad is one of 15 children and they’re still all close – that’s a great example for us to follow. Great videos – thank you so much for sharing!

    1. Glad you could relate to the post, Corinne!

      You’re absolutely right. A family is indispensible, and unthinkable to be without. It helps by having an example set before you, as it makes the task bit easy.

      Your father followed his great family, and so would you follow him in instilling the importance of family in your family. However, there are parents who do not set a good example, and their children follow suite. I hope this post is of help to all of them.

      Thanks for stopping by, always a pleasure to have you over 🙂

      1. Oh yes, I do know of people with their priorities all skewed – and when they realize that (if ever they do!), sadly they’ve already ‘lost’ their children. I do hope that realization comes sooner rather than too late!

        1. That is it, and the purpose of this post. You rightly added “if they ever do,” because some people never realize or accept that if they had given their time and love to the family, they could’ve been staying together as a happy family.

          And as the saying goes, better late than never – it’s never too late to set your priorities right and repair the damage done.

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