Family rituals & amp; Routines to improve health

Updated Feb 24, November of 2003.

If you did eat the family a child together? Are you on a family vacation? Do you confuse your family for the holidays? ADecember 2002review 32 studies, says that the family routines (eg, bedtime, homework and dinner) and family rituals (such as birthdays, Christmas parties and family gatherings) with satisfaction associated marriage, young people a sense of personal identity, academic achievement, child health and strong family relationships. One study found that children who had regular sleep routines learned to sleep early and woke up less often during the night than those with less regular routines. Even found to reduce episodes of respiratory infections in infants routine activities at home.

Barbara H. Fiese, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the University of Syracuse, a distinction between family routine and family ritual as follows: "The routines involve instrumental communication conveying information that" is what you need to do, "and include a obligation of current time for that once the action is completed, there is little, if any, after the fact. rituals however include symbolic communication and convey "this is who we are," as groups and the continuity of meaning over the generations. "According to Dr. Fiese." Moreover, it is often an emotional routines impression, once the action is the person to play in memory in order to recover part of the positive experience. "can be rituals, when they of move to a roller, a symbolic acts.

Many families have given up routines such as family reunions and family members have conflicting demands on their time. Is that a problem? The rating does not mean that a certain routine is crucial, but the presence of family routines and rituals usually beneficial. Routines and rituals may be particularly important in order to mitigate some of the negative effects after a divorce. Routines and rituals provide a family structure is threatened when the family structure itself.

The authors suggest that three of the four family meals per week can help families to achieve some of these benefits. This particular routine may be necessary in every family, but the awareness of the importance of routines and rituals health can not help your family.

• If possible, try to have at least two or three family meals per week.
• Family vacation plan at least once a year.
• Consider the creation of a new family ritual for the holidays, when the old is no longer original.
• Apply before bedtime, especially for young children.
• The children an allowance that represents its share of the family income.
• Assign tasks, the children are able to work part of their family.

Reference: "Barbara H. Fiese, Thomas J. Tomcho, Michael Douglas, Kimberly Josephs, Scott Poltrock, and Tim Baker, a review of 50 years of research on naturally occurring family routines and rituals: Cause for celebration" of Syracuse University; Journal of Family Psychology, vol. 16, no. 4th