We all say that blood is thicker than water and when we say that, we are generally speaking about family. Family, a bond so deep that we would do anything to help them out at the risk of losing our own sanity. While some families can live this way, where they each help one another out, most are grateful and appreciative for it. There are great benefits in helping family when it’s a give and take relationship, sadly not all family relationships are this way. Today we are going to showcase 5 reasons why not to help family, as a means to inspire you to stop giving more than necessary before you deplete your own happiness.
1. You Are Enabling Bad Decisions
When you help family out too often you are only starting to become an enabler. Allowing yourself to solve your family member’s problems rather than leaving them alone to make their own bad decisions and suffer the consequences. Each of us must grow and enabling bad decisions will not help your family member grow.
2. They Are Taking All of Your Happiness
The family bond cuts so deep that many are willing to let their own happiness suffer at the unknowing hands of a family member. We can love our family without depleting our own world. You worked hard for what you have in life, allow your family members to do what they wish without taking you down the hole.
3. Family Doesn’t Show Appreciation
We all have that one family member who can take and take and take. If you are helping a family member who is not showing appreciation for your help, let it go. Do not be afraid to cut that person completely out of your life for a while, if need be, they will eventually come back to reality or not. That isn’t your concern.
4. You Don’t Have the Time
All too often we will give family a higher priority than our own self and give up precious time with our own household family as a means to help an external family member. This is one of the biggest reasons why you shouldn’t help family, because your own family built by your hands shouldn’t suffer because you are letting outside family take up all of your time.
5. Your Family Only Takes
Sadly this goes along with not showing appreciation, if you are helping family often enough and they all know you have that giving personality, then regardless of how much they say they love you – they will continue to take from you. There’s nothing healthy about a relationship that is all about take, take, take. Separate yourself from those who take from you, even family.
It’s hard to swallow the simple facts that our family can be unappreciative, ungrateful and takers, but that’s just how some family members are wired. We all grow in this world based on our own experiences and when a family member has been constantly taking away from the well-being of your life, then it’s time to say goodbye and cut the cord. Sure, this may break a relationship, but if you step back from giving so much breaks that relationship, was it really a strong family bond to being with? A question only you can answer as you sit to think about these reasons why not to help family.
