by Peter Yurek

In my experience — and observing others — families, big or small, are strengthened by spending time together. It helps us feel closer, which makes us more resilient to the challenges of life.

There are more benefits:

• Being involved with your child’s school activities emphasizes the importance of education and encourages their best efforts which leads to academic success.
• I’m pretty sure my siblings and I learned our parenting skills from the positive time we had together with our parents.
• Family pastimes help to build interpersonal skills, which leads to less acting out and better problem-solving.
• Quality family time provides children with a compassionate listener for their frustrations and anxieties, thus leading to fewer outbursts and better mental health.
• Our parents made a lot of time for their kids and grandkids. They had clear expectations about drug use and as a result, we were less likely to fall prey to peer pressure.
• Through our family activities, we developed a sense of belonging; we saw firsthand that we were cared for and needed.
• It was our family dinners, games, get-togethers and celebrations that helped build our healthy self-esteem and positive community conduct.
• Family time also helps with conflict resolution — you learn to work things out, make up, to move on.
• Experiencing positive family interactions, helps kids blossom and experience more successful relationships and endeavours as they become adults.

On behalf of the Yureks, I wish you a Happy Family Day!