• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Family Focus Blog Header

Family Focus Blog

Top family blog by Nashville mom blogger

  • Crafts & Activities
  • Home Decor
  • Green Living
  • Family Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Parenting
  • Family Travel
You are here: Home / The Best Parenting Tips / How To Be Happy In Your Family Life

How To Be Happy In Your Family Life

January 15, 2017 by Scarlet

285 shares
  • Share165
  • Tweet1
  • Yummly

Let’s face it- family life is a huge adjustment from your care-free single days where you were responsible for no one except yourself.  It is a wonderful, joyous gift to be surrounded by family. However, there are times when things may be going less than spectacular and you think, “Is this really my life?” The thing to remember about raising children is that there are lots of phases. Each one has its own blessings and its own challenges. Hopefully, you already feel the benefits of family time.  Even those of us that feel happy in our family life most of the time, sometimes need a few pointers to get through the slumps.  Well, I am happy to have a clinical psychologist and a mother of two, Dr. Stephanie O’Leary, to share with you some tips on how to be happy in your family life.

Tips On How To Be Happy In Your Family Life

how to be happy in your family life

Dr. O’Leary has just published a new book called, Parenting in the Real World: The Rules Have Changed. Drop The Guilt. Handle any Parenting Situation in 7 Simple Steps. Written in an easy to read conversational style, Dr. O’Leary understands the reality parents face in juggling parenting responsibilities and facing new challenges. She shares her own personal stories and simple solutions.  Dr. O’Leary’s tips include listening, respect, setting boundaries, having fun and self-care for parents. I have been given permission to share an excerpt from her book with you here. This excerpt focuses tips for how to be happy in your family life. I have included an affiliate link to the book below for your convenience.

I hope you enjoy this excerpt of Parenting in the Real World printed here with permission.

A JOYFUL HOME

How do you rediscover joy in parenting amidst the day-to-day nonsense, and get back to liking your child as much as you love him? If you’ve read the previous chapters, you already have a set of go-to strategies for turning the volume up on things that invite joy back into your household.

Invite joy back into your household

Up the respect factor, insert kindness, use accurate communication, listen, validate, offer sincere apologies to help clean up any mess ups, and provide well-thought-out limits and boundaries. These tools move you and your child(ren) toward less drama and fewer conflicts.

As you practice using these tools, the old stuff—conflict, screaming, yelling, threatening, meanness, endlessly repeating fights that never resolve themselves, guilt, dismissiveness, and countless other not-so-productive habits and interactions—will move out or be considerably downsized. That will leave empty space. It’s the same phenomenon that occurs after a massive spring cleaning. You tidy up the closets, donate what you don’t need or use, and suddenly have more room than you thought possible. You’ve just done this with your parenting relationship, so what do you want to fill all the newfound space with?

Remember, you are the parent, so you get to decide how to redecorate this emotional square footage that just showed up. Not to pressure you, but let’s devote some brainpower and intention here before that old stuff moves back in!

Joyful Household Intention Exercise

Try this quick exercise. Think about what a joyful household means to you. What happens in a joyful household? What’s said? What’s seen? How does your joyful household smell? Who’s there? What fills the space in your joyful home? Try to connect with the things, interactions, and experiences that exist in your most joyful home.

If this task was a breeze—fantastic; if it feels like pulling teeth—don’t give up. You’ve come this far, so give yourself a few days to be mindful of what joy means to you. Then, as you go through your day, make note of what pops into your head—the things you notice—the glimmers of joy you see and want more of, and the spaces and relationships that seem empty and in need of sprucing up. It’s mindful, joyful redecorating, and it’s much less expensive than the literal counterpart—and more valuable for your family.

Having a clear idea of what you want more of in your household will help you invite it in, so make a list of joyful intentions and get ready to be a joy magnet. Jot down three things that represent joy within your home. Then, keep the list in sight so you can read it on a daily basis. You can email it to yourself and leave it in your inbox to read each morning, or print it out and stick it on your bathroom mirror. Your list may include things like eating together, road trips, walking the dog, one-on-one time with kids, laughing, or being outside. Only you know what brings joy to you and your family. You are the expert in this department, so trust that whatever comes to mind, and know that it will serve you and your family well.

Conclusion

I hope you find these tips useful for inviting joy into your family life. Do you think these tips were helpful in learning how to be happy in your family life?  What does finding joy in family life look like to you?

Related Posts:

Find Your Happiness- Three Important Tips

Parenting Together: How To Collaborate Successfully With Your Spouse

The Best Inspirational Family Quotes

285 shares
  • Share165
  • Tweet1
  • Yummly

Filed Under: The Best Parenting Tips Tagged With: family time, parenting tips

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristina says

    February 3, 2017 at 11:49 am

    YES! I love… “jot down 3 things that we are thankful for in our home”! This is SO SO important! It is easy as a mom of 3 littles to get lost in the runny noses, complaining, fighting and whining! It is key to remember GRATITUDE, KINDNESS and LOVE! I will think of these 3 words today when i am losing my mine.

    • Scarlet says

      February 6, 2017 at 8:33 am

      It is always easy to get lost in the everyday struggles but you are so right to try to focus on the positive. As a mother whose third pregnancy went awry I can tell you that I wish I had one more runny nose to wipe!

Primary Sidebar

Let's Be Friends!

Welcome To Family Focus Blog

Family Blogger
Thanks for reading Family Focus Blog, which has been named a top family blog for parenting resources. It was created in 2010 by Nashville mom blogger, Scarlet Paolicchi. She shares tips for better family life, parenting, family fun activities, eco-friendly lifestyle, family food ideas, family travel, and home decor. Family Focus Blog has been named #3 in Cision PR’s 50 U.S. Top Mom Blog list. Scarlet Paolicchi is the author of four books.

Affiliate Link To My Book On Amazon

Gratitude Journal For Teens

Footer

Popular Posts

Importance of Family In Society
Benefits Of Spending Time With Family
Family Oriented Meaning
Bible Verses About Parenting Responsibilities
Qualities Of A Role Model
Jello Chocolate Pudding Pie Recipe

Disclosure

Family Focus Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. We also accept forms of cash advertising and sponsorship. We disclose material relationships and share honest opinions.
Privacy Policy

Copyright

© Scarlet Paolicchi and Family Focus Blog, 2010-2023. Short excerpts of this family blog may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Family Focus Blog with link back to the original content. Duplicating a whole post is strictly prohibited.

Copyright © 2023