17 Secrets of the Happiest Families
Updated: Feb. 22, 2023Happy families share some habits that make for fulfilling conversation, productive housework, and more subdued arguments.
Connect generations
Research shows that kids who know more about the successes and failures of their kin are more resilient and better able to moderate the effects of stress.
Cushion your blows
A study from MIT, Harvard, and Yale shows that people are more flexible and accommodating when they sit on cushioned surfaces. My wife and I now have difficult conversations on the sofa, and we have family meetings at the breakfast table, which has padded seats. Don’t miss these 11 signs your partner is a keeper.
Invite Grandma over
Grandparents are the “ace in the hole” of humanity, says Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, an evolutionary anthropologist. A meta-analysis of 66 studies found that mothers who have child-care help from grandmothers have less stress, and their children are more well-adjusted than those who don’t.
Play the “bad & good” game
Over dinner, each member of the family should report on a positive and a negative from the day. A growing body of research has found that by watching others (including Mom and Dad) navigate ups and downs in real time, children develop empathy and solidarity with those around them.
Adopt a soldier’s mentality
“In moments when the needs of the family conflict with your own needs, you have a choice to make,” says Jason McCarthy, a former Green Beret. “You can either turn toward or against one another.” Use conflict as a chance to show loyalty and build happy families. Here are 7 ways to build a stronger relationship.
Create a chore flowchart
Make three columns and label them, respectively, “Stuff to Do,” “Things in Progress,” and “Things Done.” As family members begin working on an item, they move it from the first to the second column, and so on. “I guarantee you’ll get twice as much done,” says Jeff Sutherland, coauthor of the Agile Manifesto.
Reject rigidity
Research shows you have to be flexible to encourage happy families, whether with the strategy you use to get everyone out the door in the morning or with the techniques you use to discipline, entertain, or inspire your loved ones. Don’t miss these funny cartoons about family life.
Use sports for good
Parents have the most important job when it comes to a child’s experience with sports, says Jim Thompson, founder of the Positive Coaching Alliance. After the game, avoid deconstructing your child’s mistakes. “Say, ‘You didn’t get a hit, but I think that you’re the kind of person who doesn’t give up easily,’” says Thompson. You can also try one of these fun activities for more quality time with your kids.
Mirror each other during fights
Studies have shown that people in power positions—those sitting higher than their partners, putting their feet up, or lacing their fingers behind their necks—have increased feelings of superiority, while people in lower-power poses, such as sitting lower, are defensive and resentful. These are the 10 things every couple fights about.
Don’t roll your eyes
Indiana researchers spent years monitoring the twitching of noses, raising of eyebrows, and pursing of lips during marital spats. They checked back with the couples four years later and determined that above all other gestures, eye-rolling predicted marital tension. Find out how to improve communication in your relationship.
Stop saying “you”
Use we instead: “We have to get better at communicating” will diffuse a fight quicker than “You never tell me what’s wrong,” says James Pennebaker, a psychologist at the University of Texas and the author of The Secret Lives of Pronouns. Here are 11 more things you should never say to your family.
Avoid difficult discussions from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Two Chicago psychologists determined that this two-hour window is the most stressful time of day, as parents are coming off tension-filled workdays, kids are tired, and family members are converging at home.
Limit arguments to three minutes
John Gottman of the University of Washington found that the most important points in any argument can be found in the first three minutes. After that, he says, people often repeat themselves at higher decibels. Next, to remain one of those happy families, don’t miss these 50 healthy habits every family should adopt.