The concept of a family routine encompasses a wide range of daily activities such as regular gatherings, common meals, celebrations, and so on. According to the nursing experts, the repeatable traditions and collective behaviors in families stipulate the establishment of strong bonds between related people (Kaakinen, Coehlo, Steele, Tabacco, & Hanson, 2015). Thus, it is beneficial to teach children to celebrate birthdays in the company of close people, so that to raise them loved and supported.
It is acknowledged that having meals together makes people closer to each other since during such gatherings some routine problems and doubtful decisions are typically discussed, which identifies a spirit of family understanding. According to the findings of the quality of life research study, which targeted 149 young people, 60 % of participants pointed out that their family traditions are highly significant for them. Children, who are raised in favorable environment experience less emotional stresses (Santos, Crespo, Silva, & Canavarro, 2012).
Family routines are the fundamental generators of values and living standards. For instance, many families have a tradition of visiting theaters every weekend. The custom may bear a witness to the high cultural and spiritual development of the related members. Moreover, it was approved that establishing strong family routines promotes positive integration into new environments. Thus, due to Mayberry, Shinn, Benton, and Wise (2014), homeless children, who are adopted by a new family, do not face pressures and misunderstandings if they are taught to the clear standards of family relations.
The practical implementation characteristics of family traditions and routines are the tools of health promotion. The parameters of this nursing technique can be evaluated through the study of a real-life case.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnes have recently lost their best friend, Mrs. Austin, who died in an automobile crash. Mrs. Austin was raising her child alone. Therefore, after the catastrophe her friends decided to take care of Mrs. Austin’s 12-year old daughter. After the official adoption, the girl felt extremely uncomfortable in a new family and evinced her extreme annoyance in all daily activities. Mr. and Mrs. Johnes made an initial decision of giving their new daughter much freedom of behavior since they considered that their mentoring could interfere with her emotional stability. Nevertheless, the relations between the family and the adopted daughter did not stabilize during the month. Consequently, the parents decided to address a nursing specialist so that to receive highly qualified assistance in solving the dispute. The professional developed an elaborate intervention plan for a family, which was based on the daily routines implementation. Specifically, the clients were instructed on the integration techniques such as personal days and favorite activities holidays. Due to the established program, Mr. and Mrs. Johnes were set on disclosing the interests and hobbies of their daughter. Since they knew that the child was fond of drawing, they created a new family tradition, which consisted in taking up the activity by all the family members. Thus, they bought multiple painting devices and spent one day creating an original family picture. The parents were advised to pay attention to their interests as well so that to keep a child connected to them. The family overtook cooking and fishing for the next weekend, which matched the parents’ hobbies. The experiment revealed that the daughter started feeling excited about the routines, which helped her to accommodate to the new conditions and contributed to the creation of the favorable family environment.
References
Kaakinen, J., Coehlo, D., Steele, D., Tabacco, A., & Hanson, S. (2015). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research. Philadelphia: F.A. David Company.
Mayberry, L., Shinn, M., Benton, J., & Wise, J. (2014). Families experiencing housing instability programs on family routines and rituals. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 84(1), 95-109.
Santos, S., Crespo, C., Silva, N., & Canavarro, C. (2012). Quality of life and adjustment in youths with asthma: The contributions of family rituals and the family environment. Family Process, 51(4), 557-569.