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Easy Ways To Fix a Broken Relationship With Your Child

Easy Ways To Fix a Broken Relationship With Your Child

Sometimes it can be challenging for parents to know how to fix the relationship with their child once you break it, but some steps can help you get on your way!

Written by Liz Bayardelle, PhD   |  See Comments   |  Updated 09/03/2021

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Easy Ways To Fix a Broken Relationship With Your Child

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Relationships are not secure. It takes a lot of effort to maintain them, and sometimes, even more, to fix them when they break down. Sometimes it can be challenging for parents to know how to fix the relationship with their child once you break it, but some steps can help you get on your way!

Consider Therapy

The first step towards a better relationship is to talk with someone about it. You can speak with a therapist or your pastor, or another spiritual leader if you have one in your life. This person might have great ideas for starting on the path back to building trust and affection again after an argument that has damaged those critical relationships. 

It might be helpful to make a list of what you like about your child and why these things are difficult but worth doing. If there's nothing good in their lives or yours when dealing with them, then therapy will not work as well. There must be something positive for both parties involved for this process to work.

Buy Them Gifts

Buying gifts is a great way to show them you care about them, when accompanied by actual interest and attempts at connection.

Do not just buy your child gifts and expect things to magically get better.

However, when you make an honest attempt at connection AND you come bearing gifts, it can help smooth the way for bonding. You can try some of their tv favorites (like a 4-pack of Spongebob characters) or something else their favorite cartoon or movie. If your child is older, maybe the two of you can go shopping together and bond over finding a gift they want.

Go on a Vacation Together

Going to a vacation resort together with your child is the best way to fix a broken relationship. You might not feel like this right now, but it's worth it! You will get to spend quality time with each other and learn how to communicate better. 

A vacation is an excellent opportunity for both of you to re-connect on different levels. The best part is that you don't even need to go very far. Even sending your child to a summer camp can be pretty helpful if you do it with positive intent, and the same principles apply here as well!

Communicate More

When you are not speaking to your child, it is hard to know what they have done wrong. It can be as simple as not listening, but how will they learn if they do not hear from their parents? 

It would help to let your children know when something is wrong and why the behavior does not continue. This way, the child will know how to act in the future. Unfortunately, if you are not communicating with your children, it is hard to learn these lessons.

When you communicate more with your kids, they can understand their parents' opinions on different issues and expectations. This way, the child knows that there are consequences when bad behavior occurs, so they will not repeat it.

When parents do not communicate with their children, they will learn to act however they want because there are no consequences for bad behavior. It can cause future problems in school and at home when you cannot control your children anymore. The solution is communication; talk more about critical listening and what happens when you do not listen.

This way, the child will know to act differently in school and at home because there are consequences when their parents do not like something they have done. The child should ask questions about what happened if they cannot figure it out themselves so that nobody gets into trouble over a misunderstanding. Then the behavior can change for the better.

If you communicate more with your children, they will know what you expect from them and how to act around their friends, teachers, family members, and other adults they may encounter in life. Likewise, when parents communicate more, there are more little chances things can go wrong for both parent and child.

Be More Involved in Their Life

You can be more involved in your child's life by simply prioritizing their needs over yours. Your children need to see that you're willing to always put them before yourself. It is essential because it shows them what a healthy relationship looks like and how they should prioritize each other when they grow up and start their own families.

Be responsive. When your child needs you, be there for them without excuses or reasons not to answer their call/texts right away. Your children need reassurance that they are essential and will always have a place in your life. When you neglect them by making up an excuse, it only encourages them to do the same thing.

Conclusion

Once you and your child begin working on this relationship, you’ll likely notice changes almost immediately. It may not be easy to work through and improve a broken relationship with your child, but it is possible!

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About the Author

Liz Bayardelle, PhD

 Founder   |     Contributor

Liz (or Dr. Mommy, as her toddler started calling her after learning what a PhD was) is the happily sleep-deprived mom of a toddler (and professional raccoon noise impersonator), a sparkle-clad kidnado, a teenage stepdaughter, 200 cumulative pounds of dog, and herd of dustbunnies (if daily vacuuming doesn't occur). During nights and naptimes, she uses her PhD in business psychology as an author, speaker, and consultant. She also serves as an executive and principal for three companies, two of which she co-founded with her very patient (and equally exhausted) husband.

My Motto: All I can control is how hard I work.

Motto: All I can control is how hard I work.

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