FAMILY MENTAL WELLNESS
Anywhere and everywhere we have our words, and that is power we can help our kids to recognize and use as tools to grow closer and see the best in each other! Stacey Johnson
JOHNSON AND HER HUSBAND HELP THEIR EIGHT KIDS DEVELOP IDENTITY MANTRAS, GIVING THEM CONFIDENCE IN WHO THEY ARE AND FOSTERING A CELEBRATORY SPIRIT AMONG SIBLINGS.
STACEY JOHNSON IS A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR, SPEAKER AND MOM.
Fostering Healthy Sibling Relationships Language Matters BY STACEY JOHNSON, LPC . PHOTOS PROVIDED.
One of the most powerful, important, life-long relationship dynamics we can have in life is that of siblings. Yet we aren’t taught how to do this brother or sister thing. There’s no manual, and often our parents did not give us guidance in what that should look like other than through consequences. And that only after one child has already been smacked or called a name or endured another hurtful scenario in which we are told to “keep your hands to yourself!” or “don’t call your sister names!”
And, really, aren’t those pretty general courtesy to-dos in behavior in all of our relationships? Having siblings is a relationship gift. It’s really not enough to simply “do unto others.” I believe this special bond is sacred, and the way we show up is more of a calling than obeying a list of rules. To walk this out, our kids need tangible guidance and healthy language to see how truly important the way we treat family can be. Start with a focus on four key areas:
34 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / SEPTEMBER 2020
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