Family+Exercise+1

Reading:

**Part 1:**

** Here is a text about "Family". Read it carefully and start doing each exercise by clicking on the quiz link. **  ** Signs you have a healthy, happy family **

All families have arguments and disagreements-sometimes serious ones. However, that doesn't mean that you don't have a healthy, happy family overall. The following are some of the signs you have a healthy, happy family.

** You communicate effectively. ** Communication skills are some of the most valuable skills a person can have. Oftentimes, when problems in a family or with a relationship arise, it is from a lack of communication or listening. Happy, healthy families are those who communicate effectively. Some of the ways you may do this includes listening to each other.


 * You fight fair. ** All families have squabbles. A healthy, happy family, however, resolves their differences and misunderstandings by talking calmly, avoiding shouting and yelling, and not being accusatory or insulting, even when upset. Fighting fair also includes giving the other person the chance to tell his or her side of the argument without interrupting.

Part of fair fighting includes apologizing when you know you have done something to hurt another member of your family. Healthy, happy families also forgive one another when they are apologized to, so no grudges are held. ** You are unselfish. ** Happy, healthy families put the needs of each other over their own. If just one person is doing this, then the relationship in the family is one-sided and not happy. However, when everyone is unselfish and tries their best to make each member of the family happy, everyone ends up feeling loved and taken care of. **You respect each other's differences.** Even in a family setting, where each person was raised in the same house with the same values and principles, there will be differences in thoughts and beliefs. As long as the family member isn't doing something that harms themselves or others, these thoughts and beliefs should be respected.

** You support each other. ** Everyone has different goals, dreams, and aspirations. A healthy, happy family supports each other, even if they don't agree with the dream their family member is pursuing. For example, if one child wants to try out for the basketball team even though she is not very athletic, a happy family is one that would support her in her decision and help her practice, rather than encouraging her to try something else or discouraging her from her goal. **Parents teach their children.** A happy family is one in which the children are not spoiled, bratty, or demanding. One sign of a healthy, happy family is when the parents teach their children to be respectful to adults and to each other. They also don't give in to their children's demands, discipline fairly and consistently, and teach them the value of work. Most people would like their family to be a happy, healthy one. If your family does the above things the majority of the time, then you probably have a happy family. The above signs will also help you to know what you can do to make your family happier.

**Retrieved from:** []

**Click on the below links and start answering the questions.**     

**Part 2:**

** Here is another text about one of the common issues in the family, Sibling Rivarly. Read it carefully and start doing each exercise by clicking on the quiz link. ** 

<span style="background: white; display: block; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"> ** Stopping the Pain Train ** Sibling rivalry is an old issue to hack out. Most families experience some sort of sibling rivalry conflict whether it be extreme or minimal. If you and your sibling had butted heads in the past, there may still be some festering wounds that could ruin your adult relationship. Below are some tips to help stop and heal old sibling rivalries. <span style="background: white; color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 13px; line-height: 150%; margin: 4.85pt 0in 9.75pt 0.25in;">As with any relationship that needs healing, working on yourself is the first step. You have to be whole and ready to extend forgiveness to your siblings before you can begin to heal the relationship. Take some time to write down and discover all the hurtful experiences that caused and contributed to your sibling rivalry issues. Write down how you felt about each conflict. You can be as spiteful as you want to be when writing it all down, but be sure to go back later with a more level head and record how you really felt and how you feel now about the experiences. Look at the experiences from the view points of your sibling, parent, and other people involved. This is the time for you to overcome childish jealousy, hurt feelings, and act like the adult you are. Get your stuff together before you approach your sibling. <span style="background: white; color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 13px; line-height: 150%; margin: 4.85pt 0in 4.85pt 0.25in;">Sibling rivalry goes both ways. Your sibling may have wronged you in the past, but I'm sure you can identify times that you were the one extending pain. Ask for their forgiveness, but don't expect it. Remember that you are the only one in the relationship, meaning you are the one holding onto the hurt and it doesn't matter whether your sibling is or isn't. The relationship can be healed for you if you don't hold onto the past. Ask for forgiveness and extend your own whether they ask or not. <span style="background: white; color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 13px; line-height: 150%; margin: 4.85pt 0in 4.85pt 0.25in;">There may be experiences that are still painful for you as an adult. If your sibling is willing to listen, talk to them about it. Whatever happens, remain calm, don't accuse your sibling, and just talk about how you felt about what happened. Remain in a state of peace and calm and you're sibling will be able to do the same. Problems get worked out when all parties involved are willing to communicate about what happened, remain calm, and look for solutions rather than rehashing old arguments. <span style="background: white; color: #0d0d0d; font-size: 13px; line-height: 150%; margin: 4.85pt 0in 9.75pt 0.25in;">Once forgiveness has been extended and issues have been resolved, stop dwelling in the past. You and your sibling have a bright future relationship. Concentrate on building that relationship and strengthening the sibling bonds. Concentrate on finding things you have in common and expounding on them. Rather than treating your sibling like the annoying younger child, treat them like a friend. You can build a friendship that will last through your lifetime if you take the time now to heal the hurt from sibling rivalry.
 * ** Focus on you **
 * ** Ask for forgiveness **
 * ** Talk about it **
 * ** Concentrate on the now **

**Retrieved from:** []

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 21px;">**Click on the below links and start answering the questions.**



<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 20px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">** Here is a Close Test about "Sibling Rivarly". Read the text carefully and then fill in the blanks by clicking on the exercise link below. **



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