A person is assured of having minor squabbles with family members. People have unique personalities and characteristics, after all. These can easily clash with the opposing natures of family members. Conflicts are even viewed as a necessary factor that reinforces the bond between people in any relationship.
Disputes Are Not Rare at All
Of course, some family disputes can be more intense than others. Minor occasional disagreements occur every day, and families often deal with them with ease. Other conflicts, however, can be incredibly serious and heavy that some people may even need a family lawyer to sort things out.
Conflicts and Their Effects
Yes, these conflicts are part of the dynamics of any family. But families should avoid or resolve them as much as possible. This is because constant conflicts between family members have been observed to yield several adverse effects on the family.
For one, conflicts are a source of great stress for people. Having to deal with disputes regularly can be emotionally draining. This stress can negatively influence the day-to-day life of people that go through it.
These disputes can also interfere with the focus of people. This constant preoccupation with family disputes may prevent them from doing their best at work or school. Conflicts in the family essentially spread to other parts of their lives.
Another major effect of perpetual conflict is separation. Married couples who often fight may not be fulfilled with the life they have with their partners. This is usually a contributor to the divorce of many couples.
Fixing Relationships with Family Members
Because conflicts have the potential to destroy relationships, families should develop the skills needed to navigate through them successfully. But because disputes are unavoidable, many family relationships may have already been torn because of poor conflict management. Can these relationships still be mended?
Assessing the Nature of the Relationship
Generally, it is always a good idea to address damaged relationships with family members. Having good relationships with them can be the foundation of strong social support. Families can be an incredibly helpful factor when people experience hardships.
But there are times when a relationship is beyond fixing, even if it is a bond with a family member. For instance, people have the right to avoid having a relationship with a family member that has been abusive to them in the past. With that, people need to assess whether the relationship is worth fixing or not.
Having Sincerity
People need to be sincere if they want to mend broken relationships. Sometimes, people say that they want to fix their relationships with their family members but then still exhibit behaviors that have caused the rift in the first place. Having this mindset is counterproductive.
Being sincere in fixing a relationship will set the tone for what a person will do to achieve that objective. When people start this process with insincerity, they will have trouble fixing any relationship. This is all about acquiring the proper mindset while repairing their relationships with loved ones.
Giving It Time
Conflicts can be emotionally charged. People do and say things that they do not mean, and it is typical to hurt each other during the process. But many conflicts heal over time.
The emotional turmoil of the conflict may not entirely disappear. But it may wane to a point where people can address the conflict rationally. When people take a step back and give each other space for some time, they may have a better chance of fixing their relationships better.
Doing the Work
Of course, people who want to fix their relationship with a family member should be willing to do the work. Healing broken relationships may not be linear, and there isn’t one correct way to do it. So people should do the work patiently and consistently.
Reaching out to the other person can be hard at first. And it may be normal to be initially hesitant about doing it. But if they genuinely want to mend their stained bond, they should be willing to overcome this hesitation.
Both parties involved should exert effort in fixing the bond. People in every relationship have unique ways of mending it. But most people often spend more quality time with each other and process the events that have led to their brief separation.
From there, they can decide to create a better relationship built on trust and deep regard. But again, they need to do the necessary work to achieve this objective. Of course, they should only do all the work when they are ready.
Fixing a relationship with a family member is not easy. With that said, we should always try our best to develop an excellent relationship with them. Doing this can be a step towards better family harmony.
