9. Have 1:1 with your family

During my hackathon last year, two of my team members were father and son. I found it extremely fascinating. Not many kids spend time with their dad, let alone joining a competition together.

As I got to know the father further, I learned that he has a recurrent 1:1 session with each of his family member. He has another shared activity with his other child. And right after the hackathon, he’s going to go on a vacation with just his wife.

I was like, damn that’s a good family management system. I mean not matter how tight your family is, people still open up more in a 1:1 setting compared to a group setting. Moreover, we all do 1:1 in a corporate setting to check in, align goals and build relationships. Why then, are we not doing this with our own family members, people who are dearest to us?

I think that’s why teenagers got rebellious. Parents treat them like how they were treated in toddlers. But people grow. Kids grow. The way they behave will change and they will respond to how you treat them differently. Parents would have known this should they spend a regular 1:1 with their kids.

And It doesn’t have to be in an excruciating interrogation format. It can be as simple as finding a common interest and setting a fixed time to always do it with just him or her. However your family 1:1 goes, remember to give that person an undivided attention. Listen empathetically to their story. Be open to any possibilities. Do that and you’d go far in sustaining an everlasting healthy relationship with your family.