We differ, but we can still support and love each other. How to know the strength of the family?
Mr Kwiatkowski doesn’t like shopping, but he’s a master at making spaghetti. Mrs Kwiatkowska always knows what to buy to eat, but unfortunately always burns the toast. Between you and me, her chops aren’t the best, either. Frankly, she just doesn’t have the talent for cooking. Fortunately, the older daughter of the Kwiatkowski family has recently developed an interest in Thai cuisine and prepares delicious dishes for the family. The younger son is a fussy eater and everyone in the family tries to prepare something tasty for him that he might be willing to eat. In the end, everyone in the Kwiatkowski family is well fed and everyone feels needed. Mum goes shopping, the daughter and dad cook, and the youngest Kwiatkowski motivates them to act.
Something special
In every family, everyone has something special to offer. You just have to find it, name it and make it fit with other members. That’s how you build a strong team, a family and feelings are what unites you even more. Love, support and commitment are all emotions that hold your family together like glue.
Mine and shared
Draw or write on sheets of paper what you like to do, what you’re interested in, what you’re good at. Come up with as many examples as you can. Then mark the things you have in common. You can circle them with the same colour.
Highlight the things that you share, when summing up everything that you have written or drawn on your cards. Together we can achieve better results than acting alone, because we complement each other. Together we know more than alone. Thanks to this we can create better solutions.
Family crest
Design your family crest. Together, think what symbol or symbols to put on it. Try to create a crest that will be encouraging for you. Discuss your ideas first, then draw the crest you invented. Remember to make sure that each of you contributes to its creation. Place it in a visible place, e.g. at the entrance of your home, so that everyone who visits can see the symbols you have chosen, that is what defines you as a family.
Actively showing love for our loved ones
Think about how you can show your family that you love them. Ask the children to think about everyday situations and remember the times when they were sad or when something upsetting happened to them, but also the times when they were happy, e.g. they enjoyed their success. Talk about why showing love and support is so important. Refer to specific situations in which your support and love were needed or important for them. Direct the conversation so that you don’t focus solely on sad situations, but also on happy ones. How wonderful it is to be able to share your joy with loved ones! Pay special attention to everyday matters that often go unnoticed but are still very important because they are the core of our lives.
All source materials are prepared by the team of Kulczyk Foundation’s Education Department in cooperation with teachers and experts – pedagogists, psychologists and cultural experts – and verified by an experienced family therapist Kamila Becker. Kinga Kuszak, PhD, Professor of Adam Mickiewicz University, Faculty of Educational Studies, provides content-related supervision over Kulczyk Foundation’s educational materials. All materials are covered by the content patronage of the Faculty of Educational Studies of Adam Mickiewicz University.
The article was published on 14.05.2020 on the website of Instytut Dobrego Życia (Good Life Institute)
Authors: Marta Tomaszewska (Kulczyk Foundation) and Anna Woźniak (Instytut Dobrego Życia)