I live in a strong family orientated community. Everything that we do, there is an attempt to include the family. I do not have any children of my own just yet, but I am fortunate enough to have really great, happy families near by which I can take a few tips from. Building good habits within your home and your community will generate the love, respect and time for you and your amazing family.

Happy family habits

Having watched these families closely over the years, I am confident that these are the best habits that will lead to a happy family.

The top five habits of a happy family

Quiet time

This can be first thing in the morning. Before the rush of each day begins. Building this habit based on The Life Habit FREEDOM principles of building sustainable habits, you can increase your quiet time slowly. Really, easy does it, start by setting your alarm five minutes earlier each day and increase that by a minute or two every week. Use those five minutes to spend time with your family and reflect on the challenges that today will bring.

This is the perfect time to practice gratitude. Gratitude is a tricky concept. Most of us know that we should express gratitude for the major things in life, like having a roof over our heads, having food on the table each day, and having healthy children. Then, there are the little things, like appreciating the big tree in the backyard that our kids can climb, having a lake or ocean nearby to swim in on a hot summer’s day, even just having access to a washer and dryer. When all is right in our world, it’s easy to focus on the good, but the challenge is being able to maintain that focus when things are not going so well.

Most kids won't learn gratitude simply by being told that this is how they should act. The most important thing you can do is to model the behavior for your child. Set up a habit of gratitude in your family. For example, I have a friend who has two young children, every morning they get together and pray for the day ahead. If you are not sure what to say when you pray, just start off by saying Thank You, there is so much to be grateful for.

Why not start this coming Monday, these are the morning habits of successful people.

Planning for weekends

Everybody loves a weekend, but if you are not organized you will find Monday will creep up on you and you have missed out on an opportunity to spend time with the people that mean the most to you. Get organized, plan a weekend away with your family.

The happiest families I know make time for each other over the weekend. There are so many opportunities every weekend to strengthen the bonds in your family. Go fishing, exercise together or just set aside time to be together at home.

Dinner time

Rule number one, sit down together at dinner. This is the time to reflect on the day, to ask each other how your day was? Again, another opportunity to teach your children the habit of gratitude. Start by saying Thank You for another good day, and if you had a bad day, you can be thankful that there is tomorrow to try again. Actually, making sitting down at dinner a habit will teach your children so many lessons. To start, eating with a knife and fork, an opportunity to reinforce good manners, the please and thank you habit that is important for any child's development and much more.

Focus on eating healthy food. Without my health, I am of little use to anyone; my family, my work, my community, and the list goes on. So, I have a big responsibility and interest in staying healthy. These are the top five habits of a healthy person.

Communication

Like any relationships a happy family is based on good communication, this means two ways! You have to do your part so that your wife and children can do theirs. The old saying of what you put in is what you will get out. Building great family habits starts by breaking your bad ones (everyone has bad habits).

If you have done something, apologize, happy families forgive. Talk it out, be honest and do your part. If you say your going to be there, be there! If you promise something, follow it through. Be dependable, allow your family to count on you and be there.

Know how to build good communication skills that will enhance your relationships at home.

Play

Here I go again, make time for your family. From my personal experience, playing outside in the afternoon with my brother and my dad was the foundation of the strong relationship we have today.

Every evening our neighbors can be heard playing cricket, it is a simple act that provides endless joy and laughter. Even for us, just hearing the sounds of a happy family makes you want to smile.