The satisfaction we can enjoy from our family relationships , the success or failure of our marriages and even our physical health depend upon it. The capacity for empathy and the ability to solve problems are two critical elements for sustaining healthy family relationships.
Understanding creates the bridge to problem solving.
And problem solving reinforces intimacy through a sense of satisfying teamwork. How we communicate our needs and our ability to listen to viewpoints that oppose our own, can make the difference between feelings of despair or satisfaction in marriage. That is why we must consider our communication as it occurs when we are in conflict with our loved ones to ensure that we get to the heart of developing skills which truly sustain healthy relationships. Prolonged unresolved conflict erodes affection in a marriage and is a primary precursor of divorce. And as insurance against any potential for future estrangement from the children you love, as you travel through the predictable tumultuousness of adolescence and unexpected twists and turns of the family journey.