Commitment

Commitment is a positive quality that constantly appears in strong families. They share the kinds of experiences that make the family more attractive than other groups. Strong families are committed to helping and promoting the happiness of each other.

Commitment also comes from an active involvement in setting family goals. Each person has a chance to share what she/he thinks is important.

One way to build family commitment is to practice family traditions. A family tradition is any activity or event that occurs regularly and holds special meaning for that family. The tradition may be as simple as stories, Saturday morning pancakes or an annual big vacation. Because these traditions have meanings that are special to the family, they create feelings of warmth, closeness, and specialness. Traditions can build a feeling of stability and safety for family members and are important in making a family bond – bedtime routines, weekend meals, summer vacations, birthdays, and holiday celebrations.

Put an "S" for strength beside the qualities you feel your family has achieved and a "G" beside those qualities which are an area of potential growth. If the characteristic does not apply to your family or is not an important characteristic, put an "NA" for not applicable.

This will help you to identify those areas you would like to work on together to improve and those areas of strength which will serve as the foundation for your growth and positive change.

In Our Family

_____ Responsibilities are shared fairly.

_____ Everyone gets a say in making decisions.

_____ Individuals are allowed to make their own choices.

_____ We find it easy to trust each other.

_____ We like to do things for each other that make us feel good about ourselves.

_____ We have reasonable expectations of each other.

_____ We allow each other to be ourselves.

_____ We have a high regard for each other.

_____ We respect the roles each of us plays in the family.

_____ We find it easy to be honest with each other.

_____ We accept that each of us has different ways of doing things.

_____ We build each other's self-esteem.

_____ All things considered, we value each other and are committed to our well-being as a family.

Analyze the results you’ve got. Write three sentences describing how your family is involved in togetherness.

Our family’s traditions are:

1. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

All about us

When everyone is together, see if each group member can fill in the following blanks for other group member. Have you learnt something new?

Favourite food: _____________________________________________________

Nickname: _________________________________________________________

Favourite kind of pet: ________________________________________________

Most prized possession: ______________________________________________

Best friend: _________________________________________

Last book read for fun: _______________________________________________

Favourite kind of music: ______________________________________________

Best vacation ever taken: _____________________________________________

Dream vacation: ____________________________________________________

Favourite famous person: _____________________________________________

Analyze the information above, make a brief summary of it and write a conclusion not more than 6 or 7 sentences. It should contain a topic sentence, with an idea that is well developed in the sentences that follow. Comments and feelings about the person should be in the last sentence.

Here are some hints for you for the conclusion.

I value a peer as a precious part of the group.

We take care of each other and help each other.

We share group goals.

We are honest with each other.

We like to communicate.

We have got the same interests and hobbies.

Determine if your opinion matters in your family.