Healthy Relationships Initiative
With Halloween approaching, a fun and easy way to spend time together as a family is to make Halloween-themed cookies! Use your favorite cookie recipe and be creative when decorating! If you have kids, this is a great opportunity to teach them about baking and working together. Here are some cute ideas for your Halloween cookies: https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/dish-type/cookies/holiday/halloween
Creating traditions as a community helps families develop supportive relationships with one another. A neighborhood or community Halloween themed potluck is a great way for families and friends to come together and have fun! Adults can relax and enjoy conversations together while the kids play, and everyone can bring their favorite fall dish or Halloween treat to share.
A fun and easy Fall family tradition is a Halloween-themed movie night! If you have kids, the movies don’t have to be scary. There are plenty of kid-friendly classics, such as:
A movie night is never quite complete without some delicious snacks. One fun and festive option is Halloween popcorn. All you need is microwave popcorn, candy corn or orange m&m’s, and some pretzels. Then, simply mix these ingredients into a bowl and your Halloween popcorn is ready to eat!
Family traditions provide a space for family members to share stories and experiences, allowing each other to strengthen their sense of family identity. Traditions also promote and strengthen certain family values, such as connecting with one another, being kind and compassionate, or serving others.
Traditions are often passed down from generation to generation. They provide an opportunity for the entire family to gather and participate in the tradition, creating connections between older and younger generations within the family. These connections can help family members understand their family history, while feeling loved and valued. It is incredibly heartwarming to know that spending time as a family through these traditions creates memories that can be cherished beyond a lifetime, as younger generations may incorporate them into their own family traditions in the future.
Family traditions help us feel like we belong and give us a sense of security and unity within our families. Spending time with the people we love creates feelings of joy, acceptance, and warmth. It is so important to create moments that promote these feelings within our families.
Special traditions allow family members to bond and feel connected as they spend time laughing, telling stories, and celebrating together. Whether you are making a meal or yummy snack, doing arts and crafts, playing games, or singing and dancing, by doing these things together, family members can grow their relationships and feel a deep connection with one another.
Holidays are a time for joy, laughter, and celebration. They provide a special opportunity to spend time together as a family and to make lasting memories through family traditions. With Halloween approaching, we will be sharing reasons why family traditions are important for strengthening and connecting families, as well as some family traditions you can start this Halloween!
The YWCA of High Point is a versatile organization with something for everyone. From art and cooking classes to structured after-school programs, people in the Greensboro-High Point community are guaranteed to find something that peaks their interest. YWCAHP partners with local organizations to supply a broad array of activities and events that reflect the diversity of our community. From cooking demos with the Cooperative Extension to events through the Latina Family Center, these connections offer plenty of variety and opportunities to learn something new. Not a member? Not a problem! The YWCAHP offers public events, as well as financial assistance for interested community members. Check out their website, http://ywcahp.com/, or contact them (336) 882-4126 to learn more. You can also learn more by watching this #FindHelpFriday video:
When someone you care about is being abused, there are many practical ways you can provide support. As we’ve discussed in the previous blogs in this series, these ways may include asking them what help they need, helping them to connect with resources in their community, and taking action to promote their safety. These are all really important and meaningful ways you can potentially help someone who is being abused.
Our fifth step in how to help someone you know who is being abused is just as important, and it’s something that virtually anyone can do. It requires no special training or knowledge about intimate partner violence. All it requires is a genuine intention to support and build up the person you care about.
To put Step 5 in context, let’s consider what life is like for many survivors of intimate partner violence. Not only is there often physical and/or sexual violence, but abusive people often regularly attempt to tear down, humiliate, blame, manipulate, and control their partners. Imagine being on the receiving end of this. Perhaps every day (and maybe even multiple times a day), you are told you are worthless, ugly, or stupid. You are told that you are bringing on your own abuse because you do “everything” wrong. Your feelings, needs, and opinions don’t matter, and you likely have no say in many of the decisions that impact your daily life. You’re told that you’re not allowed to make dreams for the future, and, indeed, you may become hopeless and feel that things will never change.
One powerful antidote to the disparagement that survivors face through abuse is a strong network of friends, family members, professionals, and others who provide consistent reminders of the survivor’s value and worth. Wouldn’t it be amazing if, for each disparaging action or word that a survivor received from their abuser, they heard at least ten positive, affirming messages from others? What difference would it make if every time they heard, “You’re worthless,” they could draw upon the many times they’ve heard from others:
After being told repeatedly that their lives and needs are worthless, unfortunately many survivors begin to believe this. With the support of others, survivors can be reminded of their own worth, which can be a critical step in their process of moving toward safety.
We may never be able to silence the cruelty of some callous abusers. However, we can drown their cruelty with the powerful forces of love and respect.
This information has been adapted from materials in the How to Help a Friend Collection from See the Triumph. Visit See the Triumph at www.seethetriumph.org for more information.