Strengthening the Modern Family: Building Bonds and Resilience

1. Living in Families

2. Strength of an individual family depends on: • Sense of commitment – pledge or promise of loyalty • Time spent together • Strong – Open Communication • Coping Skills – techniques that help people solve a problem or adapt to a situation • Appreciation for each other • Shared beliefs and traditions

3. Family- a group or two or more people who care about each other and are committed to each other. • Members of a family usually live together and are related by marriage, birth or adoption. • Family is every child’s first connection to the world. • As a child gets older, family provides a safe environment from which to explore –and to which they can return.

4. Four Main Types of Family Groups: • Nuclear- family group with two generations- • father, mother and at least on child sharing the same household • Adoption- legal process in which people obtain the permanent right to raise a child who is not biologically their own. • Foster Care- a child whose parents or other close family members are unable to care for them. • Temporary legal responsibility for the child. • Extended- family that includes relatives other than parents and children. – (also includes cousins – aunts – grandparents, etc.)

5. Single-parent- one-parent and one or more children sharing a household. (never married – divorced – death) • Blended- married couple and at least one child from parent’s previous relationship. • Family Life Cycle- a series of stages in a predictable order – • timing and duration of these stages may vary widely from family to family

6. Trends Affecting Family Systems • Changing Family Roles • Mobile Society • Awareness of Family Values • Healthy family system provides each member with – • Protection • Economic support • Emotional support • Sense of identity and acceptance • Opportunities for personal development • Socialization of children