Families often reunite during holidays, a time that can bring both joy and reveal underlying tensions. Research from the Centre of Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families and Society at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa highlights that thriving families are built on trust, care, and a sense of belonging, and continuous effort helps maintain these connections.

• Families thrive when trust is fostered, care is given, and all members feel they belong.
• More cohesive families communicate openly, adapt to change, and support each other, even amidst disagreements, as exemplified by a researcher's quote: “We fight, we cry, but we still sit together for supper.”
• Bad care, characterized by unmet intangible needs or unequal caregiving, can erode family cohesion, leading to feelings of being unappreciated or neglected, especially during holiday periods when disparities may become more pronounced.