“Family is not an important thing, it is everything.” I believe that this statement perfectly describes the proper way to interact with your family. Family members are like lifelong best friends. Maintaining a strong communication with them can ultimately lead to having positive memories in the future when you have your own family. When you are shown from a young age to constantly communicate with family members you will continue to do so throughout the rest of your life.

Think to yourself for a second: “How many times have I sat down to have dinner with my family this week?” “Do I ask my family members how their day was?” If the answer to these questions is “No” you might want to reconsider the way you communicate with your family members. Yes it is true that we all have busy schedules and sometimes we forget to ask others how their day is going, but believe me when I say that communication between family members is extremely important and should be valued. Within my own family communication is not something we struggle with but I have noticed from others around me that many times it is the root problem for disputes between parents and their kids. Something as simple as letting your parent know when you’re returning home or where you’re going can prevent many issues.

One of the main rules that my mother has always reminded me and my siblings of is that during dinner time there are no cell phones allowed. Technology has the negative power of creating a wall that prevents having a conversation. Putting our phones away in my household helps us to catch up on what everyone is doing and whether or not anyone needs help or support. Growing up and as the years have gone by I have come to realize that this strong communication has guided us as a family through problems that would’ve been impossible to overcome without the power of words. Thanks to the way I was raised I can say that it is extremely easy for me to talk to any of my family members about anything knowing that they will give me the best advice they have.

– Kiana