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4 Ways to Keep Extended Family Close In 2021
The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way of life and connections among the nuclear and extended family members. With the health regulations such as social distancing, quarantining, working from home, and travel restrictions, the situation has worsened.
Even before the global pandemic forced millions of people to work from home temporarily, an increasing number of people had said goodbye to their painful journey to work. Thanks to ever-evolving technologies such as Skype, Facetime, Slack, Zoom, Google Hangouts, authenticator apps, and cloud computing—not to mention texting and email—no it’s longer necessary to be a productive team member in a full-time office. Many kinds of work can be done just as effectively, if not more effectively, from the home office.
The young and old generations feel physically isolated. Additionally, before the Covid-19 pandemic, old and new generations were distanced by the need to find better livelihoods.
Working From Home
Working from home has become the new normal, and every industry that has survived the pandemic market changes has moved to remote and from home. Balancing one’s career and personal life is always a bit of a struggle, but the real uphill comes when you are at home. Being at home and working from home is recently making creativity to design new ways to keep family life in check, keep work-life in check, and manage both of them from the same location at the same time. Luckily, technology has sped up its stride and had managed to provide many low-cost solutions that might solve more than a few issues in our daily lives.
Currently, you find yourself on the run as you seek better opportunities in different areas. With the rise in the cost of living, you can no longer stay with the old generation at home as you need to support them. However, there is an urgent need for old and new ages to connect. According to the New York Times, the old and new generations’ connection enhances the passage of knowledge and wisdom across generations.
Create A Family Time Schedule
Workaround your job schedule and try to spend quality time with your loved ones. Include yourself in indoor activities that you can tend to during your breaks or require a minimum time to be part of. Make an impression every time you do, take photos, sing songs, cut and paste small and quick crafts, and make sure everyone is on a tight schedule when it comes to spending time together goes.
Check On Extended Family Frequently
Don’t forget about extended family, particularly the elderly ones that might not be able to go out at all or might reside in facilities. Ensuring the young one at home has a close connection to the rest of the family by keeping them close. It is truly beneficial as it bridges the generation gap among family members.
Here are four ways to keep extended family close in 2021.
Utilize Communication Technology
The advancement of technology makes the world look like a small village making interactions easy and quick. For instance, you can create an extended family WhatsApp group to check on your extended family continually. Through this platform, you can encourage your close and extended family members by posting relevant motivational quotes during rough moments.
Also, you can utilize online tools to make video calls. Given the current pandemic restrictions, online communication platforms have taken traction in the modern environment. Even with the geographical distance between you and your extended family, video calls will enhance face to face communication, fostering connectivity.
Additionally, you should leverage social media platforms in fostering connection among your extended family members. For instance, you can create a family Facebook group for updates. Such a platform will enhance bonding between the young and old family members as they interact. Ultimately, you will keep extended family members close.
Spend Quality and Special Moments Together
It would help if you created time to visit and interact with your extended family members. Ensure that you meet more than once a year for a common goal. Meeting frequently increases your bond with your extended family members. Equally, rather than meeting for official occasions like weddings and birthdays, you should free specific days to engage in fun with your extended family members.
For instance, as a group, you can organize hikes, picnics and engage in voluntary work. Such activities promote family connectivity and unity. If you cannot travel upcountry, you and the extended family members can organize and buy a common place to meet during special moments. Given your busy schedule, you can utilize platforms such as we buy houses in San Antonio to acquire a common meeting point. In the end, you will pass down the meeting and connecting habit to the incoming generations.
Practice Your Family Traditions
Family traditions are common aspects that families practice. Distance and a new environment shouldn’t deny you the chance to enjoy family moments through these traditions. For instance, embrace family recipes when you meet. Such practices enhance a sense of identity among the extended family members. Ensure that your children know and inherit these traditions.
Besides, it would be best if you utilized special family moments to create new memories and traditions. For instance, to make the family meetings fun, you should give room to trying new things as they may turn out to be family traditions. Ultimately, your extended family will feel more connected and united than ever.
Minimize and Solve Conflicts Promptly and Amicably
Families are not perfect, and as such, conflicts can result from misunderstandings. If you don’t resolve your family conflicts, you will create an avenue for division and disconnection. Also, the amount of time your family takes to solve such issues determines future interactions.
Don’t let these issues cost your family ties. Resolve misunderstandings immediately to promote family harmony and bonding in the long run. Make your family members understand that you are each other’s support system and resentments are not worth it. Eventually, you will eliminate the misunderstandings among the conflicting members, promoting family closeness.
Overly, keeping the extended family close can be challenging, but it’s worth your efforts. Without the right strategies, family unity can be lost, and as such, you will live like strangers with your family. Therefore, you should apply various methods, including utilizing communication technology, spending quality and unforgettable moments together, practicing family traditions, and solving conflicts promptly and amicably. With these strategies, you can achieve family bonding and unity.