Family is the basic unit of society
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Founded by the United Nations in 1994, The International Day of Families is observed on May 15 every year to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world.The International Day of Families provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting them.
The Usapho Foundation has listed four areas to emphasise the importance of family in the lives of human beings.
- Provision of protection and security
- First step of receiving basic values of life
- Shaping the future of a child
- Helping to build an ideal society
It is the family that provides love, support and a framework of values to each of its members. Family members teach each other, serve one another and share life’s joys and sorrows. Families provide a setting for personal growth. Family is the single most important influence in a child’s life. From their first moments of life, children depend on parents and family to protect them and provide for their needs. Parents and family form a child’s first relationships. Family provides all members with security, identity and values, regardless of age. The children learn about their sense of self and gaina foundation for the rest of their lives. This foundation includes the family’s values which provide the basis for their own moral code. Spending time with family shows individuals the value of love, appreciation and open communication.
Family is the first school in which a child receives the basic values of life. The child learns good manners in the family. The morals and values learnt in family become our guiding force. They make our character. They lay the foundation of our thinking. Family is an important and strongest unit of society. It holds great importance in social life. A society is made up of families. The family lays the foundation for discipline and values.
The family is our blood and they are the people who accept us for who we are, who would do anything to see us smile and who love us no matter what. The family is the place where our lives begin and love never ends. Family teaches children about habits and discipline to help them to live a perfect life in future. The parents are the only ones who understand us much more than others because they are our creators and they are the only ones travelling with us from the beginning. This is the power of family.
A perfect family is a great example to the whole society. Family impacts very much in society and society impacts very much in the country. So an ideal country is built through the family. Family values are a set of unwritten rules and codes that creates and helps build our perception, vision towards society and many things that we face in our day to day life. Strong family values can instill greater clarity in decision making regarding our life and leads to a relatively easier and more balanced life. Giving strong values as parents not only protects a child but also creates a civilized and conscious citizen and helps move the society towards a brighter future.
The purpose for this international observance day is to acknowledge the significance of family and to heighten awareness on the issues affecting families worldwide. The day acts as a powerful awakening factor in the best interest of families in all the nations, which benefits themselves of this favorable occasion and demonstrate the support of issues concerning families suited to each society.How can families celebrate this special day? The Counsellor Amy Guertinsuggests writing a motto or mission statement that addresses the core family value. She suggests the following:
- Talk about your family. What things are most important to your family? What are the strengths of your family? What words or phrases best describe your family?
- Write down everything. You can always go back and narrow the list later. The first session is about brainstorming.
- Allow everyone to think about it for a while before reconvening to agree on a list.
- Stick to ten major ideas. Your final list can have more or less, but ten is a workable number to aim for without being overwhelming.
- Display your list. Hang your values list up somewhere where it will be seen every day.
- Refer to the list when things happen. Use your family’s list of values as a teaching tool.
- Rewrite as necessary. The list may grow and evolve over time, just as your family changes.
The following are examples of family values:
- Think of the consequences before you act
- Follow the guidelines of religion
- Discuss right and wrong when modern values clash with traditional values
- Spend time together as a family, but also pursuing individual interests
- Treat others (both inside and outside of the family) with compassion and respect
- Put your best effort toward every task
- Always continue to learn
- Learn from failures
- Celebrate successes
- Remember to not always act on feelings
- Show love every day
- Sever relationships with disrespectful people
- Treat others’ possessions with care and respect
- Listen since all opinions are important
- Always strive to maintain safety
- Be honest
John Bowring said “A happy family is but an earlier heaven”.
R.N.A. de Silva
The author is a member of the
faculty of the Overseas
School of Colombo.
ndesilva@osc.lk