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Healthy Family Traits

May 15, 2011 | By Hannah Rice Myers

Maybe you have been told how much you look like your mother, or you have your father's nose. Perhaps a friend has said that she loves the way you and your sister laugh during the cheesy parts of a movie, when everyone else is crying. These are family traits; some of them you can control, others you cannot. They shape who you are, both physically and emotionally. If you are now responsible for children of your own, it's your job to pass along the healthiest traits possible.

A Family Trait

Biology-online.org nicely sums up the meaning of family traits. They are characteristics given to you by your parents and passed on to your children. This can continue for generations, making one family distinct physically, emotionally and intellectually from other families. Traits such as communicating well, having respect for one another and wanting to spend time as a unit are examples of healthy family traits, according to Mid-Ohio Psychological Services, a mental-health agency serving central Ohio. Although passing a healthy heart along to your children is important, you must also teach them how to use it.

A Sense of Humor

You may not consider the ability to laugh a family trait, but not every family sees much to laugh about. Laughing is healthy not only for your family as a unit, but also for your body and mind, as the informational resource HelpGuide.org points out. It can relieve stress and pain and help connect you with others. Laughing can boost your immune system and protect your heart by improving blood-vessel function and blood flow. The Nemours website KidsHealth.org explains that laughter is a learned quality you can instill in your children. If you were fortunate enough to have parents who saw the humor in life, and you do, as well, pass along this very healthy trait to your children.

A Healthy Heart

Many risk factors increase your chances of developing heart disease. Family history is one of these factors, according to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. If a first-degree relative, either a parent or sibling, had a heart attack at an early age, your risk rises. You can lessen this risk by developing healthy eating and exercise habits. Instill these habits in your children, and heart health might just become a family trait.

Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Diabetes has a genetic component. Those with type 1 diabetes frequently have risk factors from parents, according to the American Diabetes Association. If your father has diabetes, your risk of developing it are 1 in 17. If your mother has the condition and gave birth to you before she was 25, your risk is 1 in 25; if you were born after she turned 25, your risk 1 in 100. When both parents have this condition, your risk could be as low as 1 in 4.
Type 2 diabetes also has a genetic link. Some of that link is related to bad eating and exercise habits. The diabetes association says that your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is 1 in 7 if one of your parents developed it before the age of 50 and 1 in 13 if he developed it later. If both of your parents have this disease, your risk is 1 in 2. As with heart disease, however, you can lessen your chances of developing type 2 diabetes or manage it better by developing good nutritional and exercise habits. These are traits you can develop as a family and pass along to future healthy generations.

Teaching Respect

According to Mid-Ohio Psychological Services, a healthy family value is respect -- for those both inside and outside the family. You can make this a trait by modeling and teaching this behavior. It can be as simple as chatting with the clerk in the supermarket checkout line instead of talking on the cellphone in front of her or arguing with your spouse in a way that shows you still care for him. Make it clear that your child must listen to her teachers and coaches and be polite to everyone. Developing a shared sense of respect can help lessen the risk that your child will fall prey to the many temptations of adolescence, and if she does, she will quickly see that they're not for her.

Communication and Listening Skills

When you teach your children how to communicate effectively, their future relationships will benefit. It must begin with you, the parent. Demonstrate how communication and shared decision-making is more effective than arguing and trying to control others. Communicating means both expressing your feelings in an honest, noncombative way and listening. Active listening shows that you care about the other person's feelings. When you listen to your children, let them know that you understand their feelings, whatever they are. This will help them feel secure and allow you to problem solve with them. Children who are lucky enough to have strong communicating and listening skills are equipped to handle many of life's challenges. When they become young adults, you'll be pleased to hear them tell you that communicating always seemed to be a family trait.

References

Article reviewed by Amy Richards Last updated on: May 15, 2011

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