What is an Emotionally Healthy Family? Is there such a thing?
An Emotionally Healthy Family: Any family that problem solves sufficiently well enough to allow it's members to meet their goals and potential.
Rebuilding Relationships
Trust is sometimes difficult to rebuild. Both the Dumper and the Dumpee have different challenges.
Characteristics of Healthy Families
The 4 "R"s. Roles, Rules, Routines and Rituals.
The first of the 4 "R"s is Roles.
We need to identify the roles we have in the family. These include the role of partner (husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend), parent, worker, cook, etc.
The second of the 4 "R"s is Rules.
Rules in a family help to set the hierarchy --who is in charge as well as what responsibilities each of the family members carry as their part of being in the family.
The third "R" is Routines.
routines in a family are how get the things done that allow the family to thrive. These include, the three "C", children chores and career. What needs to be done for the family to live: groceries, laundry, time with the children, cooking meals, checking homework, bathing, etc.
The 4th and Final "R" -- Rituals.
Rituals are the ways the family celebrates it's uniqueness. What does your family do that makes it different from the other families that you know. Rituals help the members to identify with being a member of the family.