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Keep Your Family Close (Despite The Challenges of 2020!)

Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels

Wow! 2020 has been a doozy, hasn’t it? With most of us periodically stuck at home with close family under shelter in place order or quarantines. While at the same time unable to travel or spend time with our extended kin. Of course, such situations have brought with them their own challenges, yet it is still possible to keep your family close, emotionally. In fact, you can find some strategies for doing so in my post below. 

Keep the lines of communication open

First of all, there is nothing that will help to keep your family, both near and extended closer than to keep the lines of communication open. Within your home, this may mean setting up regular family meetings where each member, including the kids, can air their grievances and worries. After all, by getting any problem out in the open calmly and constructively, there is much less chance for them to boil over in arguments and resentments. 

Communication and interaction are a little more challenging when it comes to keeping in touch with extended family members that live outside of your home. However, we do have access to a whole bunch of technologies that make instant and face to face contact now possible. With that in mind, scheduling in video calls, and keeping up to date and interacting with family members that live in another home, state, or country via social media is a smart idea. 

Have extended family come to live with you 

If connecting with your extended family via video call isn’t hitting the spot you may wish to consider inviting them to come live with you in your home. There are many advantages to doing this, including being able to see and interact with the person every day. It can also be beneficial because you will be able to offer care and support for anyone that is from or ill, as a family. 

Problems can arise; however, when the family member in question is not a resident of the US. After all, being granted permission to live here can be a complicated process. The good news is that professionals specializing in family immigration law can help you here. They can help you arrange family sponsorship immigration such as Green Card through Marriage, I-485 Child, or even a Fiance Visa.

Respect individual members space 

Contact and connection are essential, especially with regards to those living outside the family home. However,  it is also vital to remember that families stuck together during quarantine and shelter in place orders also need to learn to respect each other’s space. 

Indeed it is when we are stuck together at home with no other option that patience is tested, and cracks in the family dynamic are most likely to appear. Also, it is critical to recognize that some people, because of their personality type, need far more time alone to recharge and process things. Something that must be respected and honored if the family is to continue getting on and being emotionally close, despite the challenges 2020 has brought. 

Communication and interaction are a little more challenging when it comes to keeping in touch with extended family members that live outside of your home. However, modern technologies make instant and face-to-face contact now possible. With that in mind, scheduling video calls, and keeping up to date, and interacting with family members that live in another home, state, or country via social media is a smart idea. If you have elderly family members or those with special needs who live far away from you, it’s worth purchasing one of the best medical alert systems to ensure they are safe and you are made aware when there are emergencies.

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