Family is Your number One Asset; Cherish it with Joshua Straub Ph.D.
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Our today’s guest is Joshua Straub, a distinguished Marriage and Family Strategist with a Ph.D. in the area. He is also the president and cofounder of the Connextion group, and is here with us to talk some wisdom into our family relations; specifically, what makes them work.
Keeping a healthy family together is becoming an increasingly difficult task. With our focus shifting from personal to professional and vice versa all the time, to do everything ‘right’ is virtually impossible. The main thing though is not doing it ‘right’, but to get you marriage or relationship in such rhythm that the problems might identify themselves, after which you can act to sort them out.
Ebbs and Flows
No relationship is perfect all the time. There’s changes in your relation towards the loved ones. Once you’ve internalized this, you’ll start to notice when your relationship is in need of a refreshment. An unplanned night out with your spouse or a prolonged 1 on 1 time with your kid will offer themselves as solutions. Also, setting aside some regular time for such occasions will benefit your family greatly.
Parenting Made Simpler
It will never be easy, raising kids, but it can be made simpler by establishing an umbrella set of principles on parenting. Don’t bother with this technique or that, we all get those wrong most of the time, but on the posture from which you act. One of them is time. Your time is the most valuable resource in raising children. Spending as much of it as you can in those early years is important beyond any doubt.
Another posture that is extremely beneficial long term is setting yourself to be the safe haven for your child. As they grow up, so many things change so fast that they need something to cling to. If they don’t find it home, they’ll go search for it elsewhere. This is why you shouldn’t act all stern with teenagers punishing all their irrational and harsh reactions. Taking a step back is difficult, but extremely rewarding.
Focus on Yourself and Your Kids
Aside from love and affection, the things that will influence your kids the most are your ability to cope with stress, and you relation with the spouse. Kids are impressionable; nothing escapes them, they take in every bit of emotional cue they meet.
Setting yourself strait and stress-free, make sure to allow some 20 minutes to enter your child’s world. This is huge, especially when they’re little, that you slice some time to play the world by their rules. It will greatly boost their confidence, not to mention the fun you’ll have together.
Make sure to check out…
Josh’s Website
Josh’s Twitter
22/6 Counselling
Josh’s Book Recommendation
