Whenever we greet or add a new individual to our lives, whether an animal or a human, modifications take place, and a lot of things around us change. The birth of a newborn(link with Essential Items You Need for a Newborn) or the adoption of a child, starting a new relationship, adding new people into your life, deciding to bring a pet, and the arrival of a guest. These all result in the formation of new rules, altering the existing style of a family as a whole.
You can have a welcoming ritual to start the new phase of life with the new member, joyfully and brightly. All the new and old members of the family gather, and they all participate in the welcoming ritual as this gives a sense of unity and make them grow as a new family group.
Moving from one family to another is not always that simple as every individual has different needs and desires. In addition to that, the demands and preferences of the new family member may differ from the old ones. The addition of the new member affects the flow of energy of the old family, but at this point, both the members should respect the differences and honor the introduction of the new member.
To welcome an adult into your family, you can have a sand ceremony, which will give them a feeling that they are now a part of your family. In the sand ceremony, parents, children, and extended relatives are provided with sand of different colors and textures. Then all of them pour that sand into a thoughtful container. This sand rainbow container is displayed as a symbol of family harmony.
For the introduction of a new child, parents can have a simple ceremony in which the child is introduced to the other members of the family, and the family members give him blessings. Welcoming a pet is way simpler – all the members gather around the new member and provide it with a safe and loving environment to nourish.
Since the world around us is constantly shifting, our family dynamics keep on evolving too. Whenever you decide on adding a new member into your family, it is crucial to make sure that every member is equally respected and taken care of. All the members should be provided with the privacy they need and establish an atmosphere of love and unanimity. You would not want them to feel strangers or outsiders.
In this article, we will share a few tips on how to make them feel like a member of your family. So, let’s get started.
Provide Space To Settle
Kids are usually shy, and when they move home, they do not get engaged readily and easily into a new family. So always give them space and feasibility to check out their environment and surrounding. Assign them a few tasks and take them around your neighborhood and help them in adjusting.
Offer Refreshments
Offering refreshments is always considered as a kind and cardinal gesture. When a new member or guest visits, you should provide them refreshments. This is not a very hard task; even offering a glass of water can give the impression that you are welcoming them to your house. But offering tea, coffee, or juiceis always great.
If it is a pre–planned meeting, you can even prepare the meal for them too. The meal does not have to be something fancy or stress-causing – simple budget-friendly snacks are perfect as well.
Get Them Engaged
When you are redecorating your house to fit the new member, it is better if you involve all the members in it. Instead of dictating and imposing your ideas and style, ask for their recommendations as well. Ask them how they want things to be placed and make them come up with their ideas.
Get all the members to participate and work together. This will not only nourish the bond but also will help the members know each other better, their preferences and modes.
Make Decisions Together
If your partner is moving in with you or your stepchildren are coming to your place, the worst thing you can do is to design and decorate their rooms by yourself. This will lessen the chances of them liking you.
What you can do is let the new member get involved in deciding stuff, like the color of the walls and carpets, the positions of the bed, decorative items, and TV. Ask about their choices and preferences, how they want their room to look, and what will make them feel more comfortable.
Offer Entertainment Options
Having a wide variety of games and movies available is always a better option to keep the new members and guests entertained and engaged. It will not only kill boredom but will also enhance their mood.
Design fun and age-appropriate tasks so that members of all ages can participate. This will make them feel that they are part of this family.
Enjoy It
The new members or visitors will feel more comfortable and enjoy better when they see the host relaxed and calm. Do not stress about having each and everything perfect. All you need to do is enjoy their stay with them.
Buy Gifts For Them
Buying gifts always work and make people like you more. You can buy customized gifts for the new members like mugs, shirts, and dinner table mats with their names on them so that only they can use them. In this way, you can show them how excited you are in making them a part of your family.
Give Them Time To Relax
As much as visiting a pleasurable experience, it is very tiring for the guests too. You need to give them space and time to relax. You do not have to entertain them all the time. Just like the new family members, you need to get some rest too.
Clean Your House
When you are expecting a new family member, make sure to clean your place. You would not want them to encounter anything unpleasant. It would be best to clean the entire house, but if you are busy, you should at least clean the guest room and bathrooms. Change the old bedsheets with a new and clean one. Make room for fresh air to come in by opening the windows.
Privacy and Comfort
It is crucial to respect the privacy of every individual who is a part of the family – be it new and old. Always knock before entering someone’s room and allow them to lock the door whenever they want. You should create such an environment where everyone feels trusted, comfortable, and relaxed.
Arrange fresh and lovely flowers, light fragmented-candles, and place a warm blanket on the sofa. Set the thermostat to a pleasant temperature. Give them an enjoyable environment.
Final Verdict
Every family is different as they have distinct rituals, mindsets, preferences, and needs. Therefore, they experience friction when they first meet, and it goes away with time. You need to establish and maintain a bond with them. You can strengthen this bond by caring for each other, respecting individual differences, and giving required privacy.
You should make them feel like a member of the family and welcomed by providing them a home-like cozy, loving, and nourishing environment. Adjusting to a new family is always a hard step. Therefore, go ahead and help them out, so they don’t feel left out.