Family Unity: A Crisis Defense By Dr. Jannie Carter, Extension Assistant Director

Into each life a little rain must fall. But the silver lining behind the gray clouds strengthens our resolve to sustain. And so it is with strong, functioning families. Families that practice unity enhance their coping skills for dealing more effectively with difficult situations when they arise. Unity is an essential strength of healthy families, particularly in times of crises and tragedies.

Family unity is developed and displayed in a variety of ways and in many different settings. Connectivity is facilitated by structured activities and daily routines that support togetherness. Meaningful time together may be as simple as a regularly scheduled family hour to watch a favorite television show. Or, it may be as complex as days or weeks centered on a holiday ritual. Daily functions such as a family car-pool or eating meals together provide opportunities for family bonding that are often missed in today's society.

At the core of strong families is good and frequent communication. Eating one meal together as a family can be a good start towards offering quality time for meaningful conversation. The fact that shared family meals tend to be healthier and thus more likely to decrease indulgence in frequent, unhealthy snacks is an added value. Regardless of the approach, the most important outcome of planned family interaction is confirmation that each family member is valued, respected, and appreciated. Moreover, each family member receives validation that the family will always be there in times of need.

It is true that families are expected to embrace individual differences in members to help build self-esteem and promote self expression. Never-the-less, a truly unified family has the best interest of the entire family at heart in individual thoughts and actions. Lasting family unity is based on team work and consensus building. The consensus building process fosters strong corporate teams and guides family decisions. When conflict arises, it's important for families must work together to identify the real issues, varying viewpoints, compromises, what matters most, and an agreed upon plan of action or response.

How does your family rate on unity? Have you taken the time to assess your support base? What are you doing to strengthen your family's unity? As we encounter ever increasing environmental changes and global issues, now may be a good time to take a closer look at one of your most valued crisis defenses.

Harms, N. (2008). How to build family unity. ehow.com. Retrieved September 3, 2008.

The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. (May 21, 2007). Family meals. Revolution Health. Retrieved September 4, 2008.

Thomason, D. and Thames, B. J. (January 1998). Building family strengths: Communications. Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service. Retrieved September 3, 2008.

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