1 . Children with strong family connections are associated with a high likelihood of flourishing in life, a study found. “What is different about this study is that it shows that family connection is associated with thriving and not just surviving or avoiding harm,” said lead study author Dr. Robert Whitaker.

Researchers surveyed over 37,000 children in 26 countries. In the study, family connection was determined by a mean score of five categories: care, support, safety, respect, and participation. Flourishing was determined by a mean score of six categories: self-acceptance, purpose in life, positive relations with others, personal growth, environmental mastery and autonomy. The essence of family connection is children feeling that they are accepted and cared for at home, which allows them to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are in a safe environment as they are building their identity,Whitaker said.

Children with the greatest level of family connection were over 49% more likely to flourish compared with those with the lowest level of family connection, according to the study. The highest scores in both family connection and flourishing came from children who said they lived with both parents, had enough food or never had their family worrying about finances. Researchers then controlled the data for families’ poverty levels to remove the effect they might have had on the numbers. After controlling the data, the strength of family connection still impacted how much children flourished.

According to Whitaker, adults have a very powerful influence on the emotional climate in the home, so it’s important to create a space where children feel seen and heard. A great opportunity to strengthen family bonds is around the dinner table. Adults should create an environment where children feel comfortable speaking freely. While they are talking,grown-ups should show that they have a genuine interest in what their children are saying. Silence is also another powerful form of communication, Whitaker said. Children and parents spending time together in silence or even doing chores can create a connection.

2 . For working parents with busy schedule, mornings are hell: preparing meals, ironing clothes, feeding the children, packing lunches, ensuring everyone has what they need for the day... But I’m pleased to say my perspective on mornings is sunnier than most parents, though being woken at 6 am by kids was hardly a welcome addition to the night owl like me.

The different views first arise partly from opinions on television. I don’t see the harm in letting my kids watch a bit of television before school, so long as they still make time to get dressed, eat breakfast and brush their teeth. This balance took years to achieve: a routine steadily drilled into them via daily practice -pause the TV program with complaints and screams-to fulfil each everyday activity; but, now they’ve observed that the quicker they perform their essential tasks, the quicker their entertainment will restart.

With morning necessities completed with speed and proficiency, then comes the 15-minute walk to school. In our family, it’s me and the dog who do the school run, and it’s actually one of my favourite times of the day. This quarter of an hour provides me privileged access to my kids when they’re at their freshest; rather than at the end of the day, when they’re tired, hungry and annoyed. They ask stimulating questions, “How is ice cream made?” “How long would it take to drive to Mars?”, but they usually can’t hear my answers over the drowning noise of the traffic.

Best of all, there’s the walk back: just me and the dog, enjoying the silence. A moment to recharge and reset, ahead of a day’s work, and I am grateful for the joy of my family, and perhaps more grateful still that someone has just taken them off my hands for the day. Oh, what a beautiful morning!

3 . Children develop their habits and attitudes(态度)about money from their parents and how money is managed at home.

Giving kids pocket money is a great chance to teach children the value of money and help them understand about saving, spending and donating. Giving your children money can help them to make money decisions.     1    or save it up for something bigger. Paying pocket money is not appropriate for every family, so it is up to you if you prefer to use other ways to teach your children about money. Which jobs you pay for and the ones you don’t will be different from family to family.     2    .

Getting to know which family tasks you pay your kids for is important. Family jobs that you might not pay your children for could be things like setting the table for dinner,making their bed, washing up and tidying their room.     3    , like sorting washing, or sweeping the floors. Pocket money could be paid to encourage a good work ethic(伦理). If you set certain tasks for your kids and the tasks are not completed, you could choose not to pay pocket money for those jobs or pay them less.     4     .That is:you only get paid in full when you complete the job properly.

    5    . It’ll help you get an idea about what other people are doing. You can find out what jobs they pay their kids for, how much they are paying and how often they pay their kids. Getting other parents’ opinions can help you work out a system that suits your family.

6 . Everyone needs to be part of a family no matter what it consists of. A family may consist of all or any of the following: parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and more.     1    

Show sincere concern for your family members. Do not keep your feelings in your heart.     2    

Care about the interests of each of your family members.     3     Ask them how their hobbies, their interests and their work are going. Be an active listener when they tell you and think about what you can do for them if they have any trouble.

    4     It is very important that you let them know about your life, so that they can understand you and generally know what’s going on in your life. In turn, it is equally important that you know about their lives, too, so that they feel understood, supported and can be reassured that they are not alone.

Try small gestures. Even the smallest things count. With a simple text or a brief phone call, you can make someone’s day.     5    When you know that someone is going through a hard time, call him and tell him that you would like to do everything for him.

7 . Every day in the morning I make different sounds, starting with an “oomph” as I move to an upright position, then an “ahhh” as I swing my legs off the bed, followed by an “arrrrrrrgh” as I get to my feet. Then there’s an “oh God” as I realize that my knees are unequal to the task they’ve been set.

My wife Jocasta believes in positive thinking. “All sighing and complaining will simply make you feel worse,” she says. “If you act like a young gazelle (羚羊), then you’ll feel like a young gazelle. “I’m guessing Jocasta doesn’t know many young gazelles, at least not ones with aching knees and tired ankles. I then decide to follow her instructions, but to the power of ten.

I draw the curtains open, allowing sunlight to flood the room. “What a beautiful morning!” I say in a too-cheerful voice. “I’m planning a pot of Sri Lanka’s finest tea for you. It is picked on the cool slopes of the country’s mountainous central district and will be served with milk given by a diligent young cow.”

“Oh, God! Can you give it a rest?” says Jocasta. “Sure, your knee aches, but you can still get around. Pull your shoulders back, lift your head high, and highlight the positive. The science about positivity is that the body responds to signals sent by your brain. When you spend 23 hours a day sounding like a miserable old man, you’ll turn into a miserable old man.”

I take a sip of tea before raising another case. “Yes,” I say, “but the research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain shows that people can bear pain if allowed to swear. So,” I continue, “when I limp off to work, yelling ‘Oh God, my knee’, I’m just acting on the latest science.” This is replied with Jocasta’s dark looks. “I’m not anti-swearing; I’m just anti-complaining.”

There’s enough tea in the pot for a second cup. It is somehow more delicious for the way I imagine out loud where it is picked and how the milk is produced. The sunlight streaming in, I find myself humming a happy tune when a “horrific” thought hits me—Jocasta seems to have made it!

8 . Family meals are important and connect family members.    1    There is no need to worry about going to school, work and more.

Studies have shown family mealtime increases positive social skills, school engagement and decreases the frequency of negative behaviors.    2     Trying new food or not restricting on food is encouraged. Children who engage in family mealtime are less likely to have eating disorders. In addition, those who share frequent family meals are more likely to eat a larger number of fruits and vegetables and be less picky about food.

    3    For example, we need to consider the budget, the time for meal preparation, the availability of recommended foods or supplements(补充物品)at a typical grocery store.    4    Members may have various cultural or dietary preferences. In view of this, we should make sure that the eating plan offered nutritional value for different calorie and nutritional needs-for people of different ages, different activity levels and health conditions.

Healthy eating should be a family affair, and some recommended diets will help you reach that goal by highlighting eating plans that are safe, flexible and nutritious for everyone at the table. In addition, the foods in the diets can be purchased fresh, canned or frozen.    5    

9 . Nowadays, family life has become even more challenging than before. Then, how can we create a happier family life? Let’s see some advice.

Enjoy togetherness. When children are babies, parents are advised to spend one-on-one time with their babies.     1     This can be a big mistake since enjoying each other’s company (陪伴) is one of the easiest ways for families to create lasting happiness. Parents should regularly spend quality time with their children doing activities together like playing games, sports.

    2     Although the Internet has certainly made communication easier, it is still important to have face-to-face time with your family members. Try to avoid using your cell phone so much.     3     Many families have regular meetings where they discuss issues affecting (影响) the family. This can be a great way to start talking face to face. You can talk about your family’s values, or how you can work together as a group to solve problems that affect the family.     4    

Plan fun activities as a family. This can be something that you do once or twice a month, or even once a week. This can be something as easy as going to the beach, a park, or going on a trip to visit relatives.     5     Doing the activities regularly can help you build stronger relationships with your family members, and relieve (释放) stress that many families feel.