Happy Family Relationship
Can I ask you for some advice?
Our family situation is getting tough with so much arguing and misunderstanding. I mean, everyone is constantly arguing with one another. It’s becoming unbearable.
When we are talking about more than 2 people, we use "one another". Will's family probably has more than 2 people because he said "one another".
Note: in today's English usage, people often say "each other" when there are more than 2 people as well. "Each other" is completely okay: "Everyone is constantly arguing with each other."
I'm sorry to hear that. Well, first of all, respecting each other's feelings and [vocab word=opinion]opinions[/vocab] is very important for a healthy relationship. Can you give me an example of what's happening at home?
To "respect each other's feelings" means I respect your feeling and you respect my feeling. "Each other" is a reciprocal pronoun.
For example, my daughter and son constantly [vocab word=bicker]bicker[/vocab] with each other. One likes one thing, the other likes something completely different and neither of them listens to each other.
Note, "neither" is treated as a singular noun, so we must use third-person singular verb ("listens", not "listen").
I see. Have you tried encouraging them to understand each other? Here’s one good exercise. [vocab word=whenever]Whenever[/vocab] they talk about their hobbies or interests, they have to mention one thing that they find interesting in the other person's hobby or interest. It's all about finding [vocab word=common ground]common ground[/vocab].
Elizabeth's suggestion is this: When a child talks about his or her hobby, he or she has to talk about something interesting in the other person's hobby. They have to do this every time (i.e. "Whenever").
Hmm, interesting. I haven't thought of that. I’ll try this approach.
Great. How are things with your wife?
"How are things with your wife?" means "How are you doing with your wife? Are you doing okay with your wife?"
I don’t think she’s too happy. She feels neglected, I think. I don’t know where that is coming from.
Will's wife feels like Will is not taking care of her. She feels Will is not interested in her. This is what "feeling neglected" means.
Do you spend enough time with your wife?
Not recently, I guess. Other [vocab word=commitment]commitments[/vocab] have been taking up a lot of my time.
Often, when we're busy [vocab word=attend]attending[/vocab] to others' needs, we might forget the needs of the person closest to us. You need to show your wife that she's not just another person, but your partner. Does she have any hobbies?
"She's not just another person" - here, "another person" means a person who is not important.
She loves [vocab word=gardening]gardening[/vocab].
Great. Now, each weekend, spend some time with her in the garden. Each family member requires love and [vocab word=attention]attention[/vocab] from the others. By spending more time with your wife, you will show her that she is not just another family member but an important part of your life.
"Others" is a pronoun in this case. That's why it's not followed by a noun.
"She is not just another family member but an important part of your life" - "just another family member" implies the person is not important. "not just another family member but an important part of your life" means she is very important to you; she is NOT just a random family member that you just live with but don't care about.
Got it. Your advice is always so [vocab word=insightful]insightful[/vocab]. I'll definitely try this and work on understanding each other's needs. Thank you so much!
You're welcome, Will! Remember, constant communication is key. Let me know if you need any other advice. The path to a happy family isn't always easy, but it's definitely worth it.
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