Keeping Family Life Objective – It’s the Only Way

“We journalists make it a point to know very little about an extremely wide variety of topics; this is how we stay objective.”

~Dave Barry.

Isn’t it peculiar that our families often cause our worst emotional reactions? But, is it we or ‘they’ that sends us troppo?

Yet, this that follows is true. Even in our family affairs we can ill afford to let our emotions—left unrestrained and free—subjectively shift the balance of those relationships. Our lack of objectivity is ‘rewarded’ with much conflict, and some of this at times becomes irreconcilable.

Perhaps there’s a wise divestment of knowledge and ownership required to be a successful family member devoid of the strangling emotion that otherwise comes.

Little Ownership – Little Risk – Little Emotion

Like the journalist profiled, we become adept at having very few inflexible views, unless we feel certain members might then take advantage—and some always will.

We need to stay balanced and objective, even when others are becoming upset. We can only do this when we take all views into account and still refuse to get emotional, even after we decide what we need to do.

Emotions never really help.

Accountability for Words and Actions is Required in Families Too

We do have the responsibility to keep our families accountable to the code of love that we too are prepared to abide by. We lead by example, which is the cherishable hope in all families.

The key to successful life in family is being adult as much as possible.

Everyone younger than us and certainly those less ‘senior’ in the family should be able to rely upon and trust in our objectivity—it should be a given.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.