The Role of Families

1. The Role of Families

2. Why Study Families • Terms to Know: adoptive families, blended families, extended families, foster families, nuclear families, nurture, sibling • What makes a family? (write down your own answer) • By learning about families, we will understand the influence families have and how you can contribute to your family

3. Family Structures • Nuclear Family: husband, wife, and their biological children

4. Cont. • Extended Family: parents, children, and other family members • Example: grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

5. Cont. • Blended Families: husband, wife, and at least one child from a previous marriage

6. Cont. • Single-parent families: One parent and their child

7. Cont. • Adoptive families: one or more children not born into a family but made a permanent member by law

8. Cont. • Foster families: a couple or individual assumes temporary responsibility for the care of a child

9. Cont. • Couple: married individuals without children

10. Trends Affecting Families • Birth rate: Number of children has decreased • Women in the workforce: more women working, spend less time at home • Increasing lifespan: 1900-men 47, women 49 1994-men 73, women 80 • Mobility: change residence often • Divorce: very common; over half of marriages today will end in divorce; more people not remarrying

11. Functions of Families • Meet physical needs: food, clothing, shelter, and health care • Promote emotional growth: showing love and acceptance, emotional refuge, expressing emotions • Shape social development: teach how to behave towards others, basic social skills (mainly through example, not directly), preserving culture and heritage

12. Cont. • Aiding intellectual development: parents and siblings are first teachers, teaching thinking skills and encouraging creativity/imagination • Guiding moral growth: teaching a code of conduct and a set of values • Total picture: difficult for families to provide for all a person’s needs

13. Your Role in the Family • Because of the large impact families have on individuals, important to have a nurturing and strong family • Teens can be role models for young siblings and provide support for other members in the family

14. Strengthening Families Chapter 15

15. What is Family Strength • Solid base • Deeply rooted • Nourishing environment • Similar to an oak tree

16. What Creates Strength • Respect • Each other’s behaviors, abilities, needs, and opinions, even when not shared • Don’t make members more or less worthy of others • Appreciate and value differences • Example: ask permission, knock on closed doors

17. Cont. • Trust • Closeness is built on trust • Count on each other for help and support • Responsibilities show your parents trust you

18. Cont. • Emotional Support • Words and actions that reassure others and share positive feelings • Ways to show support: • “you did a great job” • Give a hug for no reason • Doing a task without being asked

19. Cont. • Communication • Essential • Leave a note or phone call message • Prevents confusion

20. Sharing • One of the 1st lessons learned as a child • Working towards a common goal helps bind family members together • Traditions • Spending time together

21. Finding Time for Families • Strategies for managing time: • Set priorities • Allow for variations • Be realistic about what can be done • Seek and give cooperation with other family members • Learn to manage stress • Plan together how time will be spent

22. Support Systems • Network of groups and individuals that a family can turn to for help • Help families to accomplish family goals • A lot of times, support systems include extended family like grandparents or aunts and uncles • Neighbors, community, or professional services

23. Adjusting to Family Changes Chapter 16

24. Family Life Cycle • General pattern to describe how families grow • 5 steps: • Beginning stage: couple establish a home • Parental stage: become parents and raise their children • Launching stage: children leave home to start a new life for themselves • Middle age stage: after children have left, parents now have time for themselves • Retirement stage: more freedom for travel and leisure activities

25. Changes Families Make • New family members • Most common change • Usually a happy event • Could be a new baby, a relative, or adoption

26. Moving • Very significant change • A lot of adjusting required by all • Steps to make it easier: • Learn as much as possible about new place • Talk with others that have moved • Join clubs to meet new people • Join church or community group • Have a positive attitude

27. Job Change & Job Loss

28. Divorce • One of most painful • Confusion and stress • Time for adjustment • Counseling may help

29. Remarriage and Blending • Families merging together • Feelings of resentment, confusion, anger • Tips for blending families: • May not like it, but try and find a way to make it work • Work out new ways to manage time and space • Review rules • Get to know new members • Some difficult moments, not always wonderful experience

30. Illness and Accidents • Disrupt family life • Emotional distress • Find strength in one another

31. Death • Traumatic event • Recovery may be slow • Suggestions for coping: • Take responsibility for things you can do • Participate in events that help you accept the reality of the event • Spend time with young members of the family • Death due to illness – learn about disease

32. Accepting Change • Cooperate • Communicate • Follow routines as much as possible • Don’t be afraid to ask for help in dealing with difficult times • Be adaptable!!