These rules and limits must be understood by all members and there needs to be consistent responses to both desirable and undesirable behaviors. Togetherness of the Family 1. Concentrated effort to spend time and do things together, no matter how formal or informal the activity or event. If a family concentrates on spending time together, they will succeed in making it happen. It is most successful when the activity or event is planned or scheduled in advance on a consistent basis, such as having a sit-down dinner together or maybe a family discussion, where all members' thoughts and ideas are heard and valued.
All families experience both good and bad times.
It is during the bad times that families sometimes feel they can't go on as a family, that it is time for members of the family to separate. Without a sense of purpose to provide a basis for the family to exist as a connected unit, it is difficult for the family to continue to stay together. If the family shares a common belief in the purpose of why it should be together, it gives them incentive to work harder during bad times to stay together. The ability to communicate with one another in a way that emphasizes positive interactions. A family that has a defined system of communication, one which avoids attacking and blaming and focuses on reaching a positive outcome, has a strength which can lead to a variety of other strengths.