It’s week two of our month of slow and relationships, and this episode we’re looking at family: kids, parents, siblings, and all those broader relationships (including those friends that feel more like favourite cousins) that make up the family tree. They’re not always neat and tidy, but hopefully there will be something in this episode that resonates with you, whatever your family situation.

Brooke and Ben begin by talking kids. We’ve covered slow parenting in many an episode before (links in the show notes), but they share a few important reminders and tools here as well. Kids are not slow, and so living slowly with kids can be difficult to near-impossible. There are tools you can use and boundaries you can set in place (especially around time, technology and presence) to establish some great foundations, but the best advice is to drop the expectations, don’t be afraid to say no and let boredom happen.

When it comes to parents and siblings, Brooke highlights that we all crave connection but are often scared of being vulnerable in conversation. She recommends some ways to start those difficult chats, and highlights that time is the real key here. Making and allowing time and creating a safe space for deeper conversations and connections helps to create stronger bonds. They then address what to do when there maybe isn’t as much connection within a family, and Ben comes back to this idea of resilience: being tolerant, open and then resilient enough to always try to end interactions on a positive note. Putting love above differences in opinion isn’t always easy, but it’s a choice we can make.

They finish the episode by talking about ways to maintain connection when there’s a great physical distance between family, and then sharing the value of affection within all familial relationships (hugs are always on the cards).

This week’s action? Tell someone you love them, every day. And let us know how that feels - get in touch on Facebook or Instagram and share the love. To read more about the episode, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/246/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. 

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