Developing greater appreciation for extended family

Families provide us each with the support, love, and association we need to raise our children and to get through some of the challenges we will face. In America, most families live in a nuclear family, which refers to just the parents and children. However, their extended family members play a large role in their lives and in the lives of their children.
Extended family members are generally built around the bond of marriage. There is normally a set of grandparents, parents, and children. Sometimes there are multiple generations, branching out to great-grandparents and even great-great-grandparents. Extended family is brought together by these grandparents and their commitment to raising children. Siblings must have respect, trust, loyalty, and love for one another as it will be their responsibility to keep the family in-tact as older generations pass on.

There are many benefits to extended family members. Many of them are simply there to offer words of encouragement, advice, and support. Others can help with other challenges like the frustration of looking for a new job or a place to live. Several researchers have found that the role of grandparents is particularly important when it comes to raising children. Grandparents can offer wisdom and encouragement to young parents and they can help the parents when they need a break from the challenges of being new parents.
Many people have found that leaving their extended family and moving to a different city, state, or country can leave them with a sense of loneliness and isolation. Results like this show that people are at their happiest when they have the option of being close to their extended family.
A strong extended family will provide love and support. An extended family is made up of diverse people and practically everyone has their own "dysfunctional" family. The different personalities may make it difficult to develop deep relationships for one another; however they can help prepare you to deal with different types of people in the business world. While people may be different, you learn how to accept one anothers faults based on your common understanding for love and devotion to your family.
People that go through divorce, death, job loss, and other issues often turn to their extended family for support. These individuals tend to offer more support than just the nuclear family alone because they have multiple generations that can offer advice. All of these individuals also have their own network of contacts they can use to help you find a new job or help you with the problem you are dealing with.
When you are with your extended family, do not judge them. While this may be difficult for some, it is important to understand that you will be connected to these individuals for your entire life. Unlike friendships that can slowly dissipate over time, you will be in contact with these individuals for a long time. It is best to stay in harmony with them. If you place judgments on them, be careful because they may be doing the same to you. No one is perfect and no two people are exactly alike, which is what can make the extended family gatherings fun and frustrating at the same time.
Plan gatherings for your extended family so you can enrich one another and so you can teach your children the importance of family. When you attend these gatherings, make a good effort to be social with your relatives. Find something you have in common or stick to some of the recent news events. Although some of them may bother you, they are still your family and they deserve your love, respect, and support.