10 Simple Ways Good Parents Create A Peaceful Home For Their Family
Making sure your home provides a calm, peaceful environment is important for every single member of the family.
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A / Shutterstock There are plenty of good parents out there who want to create a peaceful home for their family but, as a result of their own upbringing, struggle to make that happen.
While it seems like it should come naturally, creating a peaceful home can be a lot more complex than people realize. Without being taught emotional intelligence from a young age, many parents struggle to relate to their own children or remain calm in difficult circumstances, leading to them throwing in the towel far too early.
Before giving up completely, know that there are some simple ways to create a more peaceful environment for your family.
10 simple ways good parents create a peaceful home for their family
1. They spend meal time together
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The first simple way good parents create a peaceful home for their family is by spending meal time together.
Spending meal time together might seem like a no-brainer for most parents. However, according to a study published in the Canadian Family Physician, only 45% of American youth reported spending family meal time together, compared to 78% in Spain.
On the surface, this might not seem like a huge deal. After all, what will spending quality time together for an hour really do in the grand scheme of things, right? Yet the study found that spending meal time together is associated with higher self-esteem, higher grades, and better mental health.
Knowing this, families should consider eating more meals with their children, even if it's only a few times a week. Not only will it lead to better outcomes, but it'll also create a peaceful dynamic in their home.
2. They create special family traditions
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Whether it's Secret Santa or baking homemade pies every Thanksgiving, most families have incorporated one family tradition into their children's lives. If a parent is reading this and can't think of a single-family tradition that they share with their kids, it's never too late to start! After all, a simple way good parents create a peaceful home for their family is by incorporating a special family tradition to break up their regular routine.
According to family life education specialist Patsilu Reeves, traditions help create bonds that lead to unity and a richer family history. That said, when these traditions spontaneously change it can cause chaos to unfold as disunity becomes more apparent.
Knowing this, parents should stick to family traditions that encourage bonding or help create special moments during the holidays. Though it may seem like a ton of extra work, these moments stick with children and help them feel closer to their parents in the long run.
3. They have open communication
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Let's face it: having one-on-one conversations with a child isn't as easy as people make it seem. Some parents find it difficult to relate or know how to talk to their own children. However, this isn't necessarily their fault.
Back when they were children, the most comfort some now-parents got from their own parents was an eye roll and a "people have it worse than you" speech. As a result, they may not know how to approach their kids with empathy, as their own parents never gave them an ounce of it to begin with.
Nonetheless, a simple way good parents create a peaceful home for their family is by having open communication with their children.
According to a study in 2020, family communication is an important factor in both psychological health and overall well-being. Despite these facts, parents don't know how to communicate with their kids.
To remedy this, licensed counseling psychologist Alicia del Prado, Ph.D., stated that practicing empathy is a good place to start. She explained that through empathizing with their child their child will feel better understood. This can be done through physical means like hugging or through using empathic statements such as, "That must've been extremely hard for you."
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4. They create regular routines
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Most people do well with a simple routine. A study published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that having an active morning routine led to better sleep patterns and consequently, better mental health than having a nighttime routine. Knowing this, a simple way good parents create a peaceful home for their family is by creating regular routines.
A separate study published in the Journal of Family Psychology found that children with consistent and predictable routines tended to be healthier and their behavior more regulated as opposed to those who didn't.
Even so, creating a consistent routine isn't easy. After all, every child and adult is different, and a routine that works for one family won't always work for another. Focus on creating a routine that works for the specific kids and adults involved. For some, this might mean going to bed a little later than most parents would like. For others, this might mean getting fast food once a week due to their family's hectic schedule.
As long as parents actively try to accommodate everyone's needs without compromising their own mental health in the process, then that's what matters most.
5. They let natural light in and declutter their home
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Another simple way good parents create a peaceful home for their family is by letting natural light in and decluttering. Most kids do well with a decluttered and nature-focused environment as it makes it easier for them to concentrate. However, this doesn't only benefit kids. One study published in 2009 found that a clean environment helps people feel in control and can have a calming effect on people's minds.
Of course, keeping your home in top-notch condition isn't always possible. After all, with both parents working, sometimes even overtime, mopping the floors or cleaning the bathroom can easily get pushed to the side.
This is exactly why having a daily routine and all hands on deck becomes important. Not only does it ease the burden for parents, but it also leads to a more successful marriage, according to a Pew Research Center survey, which found that 56% of US adults stated that sharing household chores is important for marital success.
Additionally, a study from the University of California and Harvard University, found that there was a strong correlation between kids who grew up doing chores and success, showcasing just how much decluttering and working together impacts everyone in the family for the better.
6. They keep adult content away from their children
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To be realistic: it's hard for parents to protect their children from the outside world. With dangerous people lurking at every corner and media becoming increasingly mature, is it any wonder why good parents struggle to keep adult content away from their children? Even so, a simple way good parents create a peaceful home for their family is through keeping adult content away from their children.
Now, being real for a second: parents can't protect their kids from every single thing out there. After all, phones do exist and as a result, other children are bound to discuss topics that most parents would rather avoid until their kids are a little bit older. However, that doesn't mean parents should throw in the towel completely. Instead, parents should focus on what they can control and try to keep it PG-13 for as long as possible.
Regardless of how they do it, good parents do their best to shield their kids from content they aren't quite ready for.
7. They do relaxing activities together
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Parents who spend time with their kids create a peaceful home for their family, according to an article published in Frontiers in Psychology which explained that the more time parents spend with their children, the greater their overall well-being will be.
That said, spending time together with their kids is a lot easier said than done. Most parents are becoming far too busy, and as a result, don't have enough time to do relaxing activities with their children every day.
However, just because your time is limited, it doesn't mean you can't carve out time for a simple activity. Whether that's meditating together for fifteen minutes a day or coloring together for thirty minutes, it doesn't matter. As long as both parties are doing an engaging and relaxing activity together, it will slowly create a peaceful home in which their parent-child bond can flourish.
As licensed therapist David Schwartz LMFT pointed out, most parents can remember the warmth that spending time with their parents and grandparents created for them. As a result, parents should understand just how important it is to carve out time to bond with their children while engaging in a relaxing activity.
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8. They monitor their kids screen time
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Parents may be sick and tired of hearing about it, but monitoring their kid's screen time is the best way to create a peaceful home for their family.
In the age of TikTok and Instagram, it can be hard for both parents and children to get off their phones. As a result, people spend an estimated amount of six hours and 36 minutes on their phones per day, according to research from DataReportal.
A study in 2019 found that too much screen time can harm people's memory, learning, and mental health. Knowing this, how can parents truly balance screen time in an age where technology seems to be everywhere?
According to child clinical psychologist Randy Kulman, Ph.D., parents can monitor screen time by scheduling when their kids use technology, taking part in their screen time through talking and learning, and using parental controls.
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9. They encourage their kids to use a gratitude journal
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Most parents have heard of journaling. Likely when you were younger, you may have even had your own secret diary stashed in a drawer or underneath your mattress. However, there's a difference between a gratitude journal and a regular diary.
According to psychologist and researcher Jessica Koehler, Ph.D., through gratitude journaling, a person is essentially writing down a few things they're grateful for each and every day.
If a parent truly wants the best for their children, then a simple way to create a peaceful home for their family is through encouraging gratitude journaling.
According to research conducted in 2015, gratitude activates parts of the brain associated with reward, empathy, and moral cognition. All of this combined can lead to prosocial behavior and a positive outlook in life. Moreover, a study published in the American Psychologist found that gratitude can increase a person's optimistic outlook in life and resilience.
10. They implement effective conflict resolution
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Finally, the last simple way good parents create a peaceful home is by implementing effective conflict resolution. Now, making up or learning to navigate conflict isn't always easy. Even in adult relationships, discussing feelings while respecting the other person's opinion can be a tough pill to swallow for most people.
Yet, if parents want to create a peaceful home for their family then learning to solve those pesky little problems is a must. Otherwise, resentment can brew.
That said, certain topics are bound to cause conflict. According to a study published in the Journal of Family Issues, household chores, untidy rooms, and technology and phone use are the most argued topics for parents and teenagers.
Luckily, if parents know what topics are most likely to cause conflict, then it'll be much easier to implement effective conflict resolution.
In this case, setting daily schedules, compromising, spending a set amount of time together, and most importantly, doing chores together can also be used to help implement effective conflict resolution when common problems like these arise.
Marielisa Reyes is a writer with a bachelor's degree in psychology who covers self-help, relationships, career, family, and astrology topics.