In an ironic turn of events, the closer proximity of families during the lockdown caused marriages to break. Households had to spend more time than ever before, but instead of building closer ties, it brought hidden resentments out in the open.
The numbers tell the story. The British law firm Stewarts noted a 122% increase in divorce inquiries from July to October 2020 compared to the same period during the previous year. Online searches for divorce and marriage counseling advice likewise increased in April.
Perhaps many family members got sick of each other because we don’t know how to connect anymore.
Lost in Communication
When couples make their vows to share the good times and the bad times, they are in a great state. When the bad times do come, some couples could no longer keep their promise.
Financial difficulties are often the cause of rough patches and bad times. The pandemic made almost everyone susceptible to this marital problem.
The COVID-19 pandemic is the fifth recession since 1981. Before we could completely recover from recessions a few years back, we were back in a state of turmoil. Many people, including breadwinners, were laid off.
Financial woes that could have been otherwise fixable became deal breakers during the pandemic. With nowhere else to go to cool off, arguments escalated into bigger fights. The anxieties of contracting a fatal infection further incapacitated people to understand and be receptive to other person’s issues with them.
The stresses of the pandemic emphasized the lonely cosmopolitan life; how we’ve become too lost in our personal problems. As social media clutter desensitized our listening skills, we don’t know how to listen anymore.
We Need to Talk About Family Ties
It’s time to start learning how to communicate with each other again. You don’t have to go so far as to schedule a huge vacation somewhere expensive. As with most things in life, it’s all about simple things.
Here’s how the family can get together to share something special at home.
- Have Art Sessions
Art is like magic, just without secrets. It can instantly bring different people together.
You don’t have to create great art; all you need to do is enjoy the process. Furthermore, there’s a wide variety of art forms to fit your preferences and abilities.
You can also learn art together since educational apps have made this easier. Ibis Paint X is a free and versatile app where you can sketch and paint drawings. If music is more up your alley, there are Drum School and Simply Piano.
2. Decorate Your Home Together
Home improvement materials have become more accessible today. With a quick stop at the hardware store, you can bring home all the essentials you’ll need.
Even researching trends and putting together a stylistic design can already be a bonding moment. Have fun choosing among DIY materials, such as contemporary wallpaper patterns, which have become in style again with the resurrection of retro. Tons of newly formulated paint colors can instantly change the mood of your living spaces.
3. Always Dine at the Dinner Table
It has been common for some families to eat their dinners at separate tables or rooms. The pandemic didn’t change this reality for some households.
But they’re missing a great opportunity to bond. When everyone is busy for the day, dinner is the only time everyone can share their stories and learn about others’ days.
When the clock strikes 7, make sure to gather everyone at the dinner table. Let’s bring back the tradition of dinner time being family time.
4. Create Family Traditions and Stick to Them
Make experiences feel yours uniquely. Shared memories are like inside jokes and secrets; they envelop the persons involved in a circle of trust that only gets stronger with time. It creates something they can look back on in fondness.
- Keep It Friendly with the Neighbors
Encourage your parents or siblings to make the whole family an active part of the community. Keep it friendly with the neighbors and find time to bond over activities. By bonding with other families with different kinds of dynamics, your family can learn a lot more.
Stronger Together
With the right people, even the most mundane tasks become meaningful. The more moments you share, the better you understand their unique languages and behaviors. In times when you may not agree on things, you’ll understand each other’s sides and, consequently, come to a positive conclusion. By understanding each other, you’ll solve any problem that will come your way. If you take the time to be there for each other, you don’t have to lose sight of each other’s importance.
Meta title: The Pandemic Brought Attention to Lost Family Ties
meta desc: We’ve been forced to stay with our family 24/7 because of the pandemic; it led to a rise in marital issues and separations. What caused these issues?
