Some people have big families with many close cousins, and some families are much smaller and more private. Either way, it’s likely that both groups of families have extended family members that they don’t know very well, and that they want to change that. If that sounds like you, then this article will be useful to you. Read on for a few tips to help you connect with extended family members.
Reach Out To Them First
Sometimes, it may be that your extended family members aren’t close to you just because they don’t know how to approach you. They may just be anxious about the whole thing! This will especially be the case if your extended family members don’t even know who you are yet. You should try to reach out to them first, especially if you are the one wanting to connect.
If your extended family members don’t know who you are yet, it may be in your best interest to seek paternal testing, which can help verify your family connections. This can help you and the family you’re approaching feel reassured that everything is above board. There are trusted DNA testing labs out there such as AlphaBiolabs, that can provide accurate and trusted DNA tests. This can help you to connect with extended family members ahead of time, and prove to everyone that you are related.
Speak To Other Family Members
Before speaking to your extended family members who you don’t know very well, it may be a good idea to speak to the family members that you do know. These family members could provide you with more insight about them, or even speak to them for you. The more you speak to people, the better you are prepared to connect with them.
You could speak to direct family members or other extended family members that you’ve got into contact with already, who could provide you with more direct information. It’s important to note that this is all very general advice, and may not be super relative to your own situation. If there are more relevant points that need to be addressed, then consider going to family counselling, which can help you and the family resolve issues that may exist. All of this may help you connect with family in a new way.
Do Things That They Enjoy
A final thing you can do to try and connect with extended family members in a new way is to actually put yourself out there and do the things they enjoy. Similarly to our first point about reaching out to them, you should try to find out what they enjoy, and see if you can join them in this.
It could be a hobby that they regularly engage in, or it could be something that they are interested in that you can learn more about. There are plenty of family hobbies out there that you can all do together if you so wish. Either way, before you are able to do anything else, you will have to first learn about the things that they enjoy.
