Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Regaining your niece's trust
• Part 2 of 3: Building the relationship with your niece
• Part 3 of 3: Maintaining the relationship with your niece

The bond between cousins ​​can be very close and profound. Maybe you were very close, but you grew apart because of physical distance, a misunderstanding, or family problems. Regardless of the circumstances, you can mend the relationship with your cousin and turn it into something that makes sense for both of you.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Regaining your niece's trust

1. Contact her. By reestablishing contact with your niece, you are well on your way to gaining her trust and liking each other. Keep your first messages simple so as not to overwhelm her or yourself.
   • There are several ways to contact your niece, including a letter, email, or phone call. Social media is also an option: you could mark her as a friend on Facebook or follow her on Instagram. Even this small gesture helps to pave the way for further communication.
   • Start with a simple message, such as, "We used to hang out so much together and I really missed that. It would be great to get back in touch more often if you want to. "This kind of message lets her know your feelings and gives her the opportunity to reach out as she sees fit.
   • Don't talk about past problems or family issues. There is a time and a place to discuss these issues and in general, both of you will know when the time is right to open up to them.
   • Do not insult or insult her in any way. If you don't know what to say nice, it may be best to wait until you can treat her positively and with respect.
   • If you don't have your niece's contact information, ask family members or use an online search engine, such as Google, to find her email address or phone number.
2. Be a good communicator. Being a good communicator consists of two skills: speaking and listening. Talk to your cousin and listen to what she has to say. This will show her that you are serious about her and your relationship.
   • Be consistent in your communication. Once you've re-established contact with your niece, you need to be consistent in your communication. This doesn't mean that you have to respond to messages or calls right away, but it does mean that you will be in regular contact to build trust between you.
   • One of the most important conditions for gaining your niece's trust is to listen to her. Show her that her interests and problems are important to you. For example, if she is having problems at school or with friends, talk to her about her feelings and help her find a solution to the problem.
   • Sharing secrets will also help to gain each other's trust. However, make sure you don't tell anyone about her secrets, as this will lead to conflict.
3. Be respectful and flexible. Make your cousin feel comfortable and relaxed when you talk or spend time together. By showing her respect and being flexible with your own behavior, you will be able to gain her trust and help improve your relationship.
   • Your niece may have different beliefs and values ​​than you. Respect and appreciate these differences to show that you are serious about your relationship.
   • Being respectful also means not insulting your niece or her family members. Mocking or criticizing her, or telling her secrets to others, is also a sign of disrespect.
4. Get together outside of family gatherings. Once you have regular contact with your niece again, you can propose meeting her in person. However, it is best not to do this during a family gathering as this can be very stressful and exacerbate problems.
   • Keep your first meeting simple. Suggest going for a coffee, lunch, going to the movies or a sporting event together. Appointments can become more extensive once you've had the chance to see each other briefly.

Part 2 of 3: Building the relationship with your niece

1. Show genuine interest in her. Listen to what your cousin has to say and elaborate on any of the conversations you have had. This shows that you have paid attention to what she is saying and are really interested in her and your relationship.
   • One of the best ways to show interest in your niece is to ask her questions. They could be as simple as, "Do you like to ..." to ask her to explain her education or where she lives.
2. Look for similarities. A good way to build a friendship with your niece and really improve your relationship is to look for commonalities. This provides you with a starting point for your dealings with one another.
   • On the surface, it may seem like you and your cousin don't have much in common. But if you keep in touch consistently and ask her questions about yourself, you will likely discover things about her that you have in common, from something as simple as personality traits to hobbies. Maybe you both enjoy playing online games or you love Pinterest. You could play or follow each other on Pinterest boards.
   • You can also use missing interfaces to your mutual benefit. This can give each of you a different way of looking at the world, or introduce you to new activities that you can enjoy. For example, if your niece likes hiking and you've never done this yourself, you might consider going for a walk together. You may love it, but even if you don't, it will still help you bond with her as you are open to new experiences.
3. Talk to each other often laugh a lot. Talking to your cousin as often as your schedule allows will greatly improve your relationship. Keeping your conversations positive and light will help you laugh often and strengthen the relationship even more.
   • Social media has made it easier to keep in touch with family and friends. There are several ways to keep in touch with your niece through websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
   • Cell phones have made it easier to send text messages. You can either send text messages or use free messaging services such as Viber and What'sApp.
   • Online video chat, through applications such as Skype or FaceTime, also makes it easy to keep in touch, but in a much more personalized way.
   • Don't forget to stay positive and respectful. Try not to offend or hurt the other person. If you accidentally hurt her, apologize and leave it behind.
4. Do fun activities together. Having a good time together by doing different things will not only improve your relationship, but also improve mutual trust.
   • By making each other laugh, you will also like each other more. Everyone loves a person who makes others feel happy.
   • Be flexible in what you do. You won't like every activity your niece suggests, because she doesn't necessarily have to have the same taste as you. But being flexible enough will allow your relationship to grow. Your cousin must also respect your choices.
   • Make sure to spend time together outside of family gatherings. These can often be stressful and cause unwanted drama in relationships.

Part 3 of 3: Maintaining the relationship with your niece

1. Stay connected. It makes sense that there are times when you have little contact with each other or when you can visit each other. But even a simple message like, "Hey, are you okay?" Lets her know she's important to you.
   • Stay connected with your niece on websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
   • Call her or text her. You can send traditional text messages or use online messaging services such as Viber and WhatsApp.
   • Online video chat, through applications such as Skype or FaceTime, also make it easy to stay in touch in a more personal way.
2. Keep showing that you care about her. In addition to staying in touch, it's good to show your niece that you care. There are many easy ways to do this: by thinking about her birthday, or offering help with a problem, for example.
   • Not forgetting important dates for your cousin will help maintain your relationship. Write down birthdays, anniversaries, and important events so you can congratulate her on those days.
   • By offering your help when your cousin has a problem or something else, you also show that you still care about her. This can be as simple as babysitting when she can't get a babysitter, helping her with homework, or going shopping together for a special type of clothing.
3. Keep your relationship respectful and positive. It is normal for mutual relationships to have ups and downs, but by remaining respectful and generally positive, the relationship with your cousin will remain good in the long term.
   • From time to time you will have negative feelings or unpleasant moments in a conversation or other interaction with each other. Do your best to deal with these situations in a calm and respectful way, and then leave them behind.
   • By avoiding family drama, you can keep the relationship with your niece respectful and positive.