Family Relations July 15th-19th

This week in Family Relations our class discussed divorce. This is one subject that I am able to understand and relate to because divorce has affected my family. Divorce is extremely expensive, just for legal fees a divorce amounts to $25,000. Because there are now two separate households’ divorces can range from $25,000-$125,000. I know that how you approach your partner with problems can determine the feelings you have towards them and the feelings they will develop towards you. It is very important to explain and express relationship problems in detail. When discussing a problem this form of explanation can be understood clearly, “when I see you do this, I think this, which makes me respond in this way. How can WE fix the problem?”  Many divorces are regretted, and problems in a marriage will remain constant in any marriage. I hope that I will be able to use the tools and guidance given to me this semester to help improve my relationship with my future family!

 

Family Relations: July 8th-12th

This week in Family Relations we discussed the importance of active parenting. I believe it is extremely important to be involved in your children's lives, because both the parents and the children will benefit from this. I was able to take an online quiz to determine the type of parent I would be. I scored a 22 in Autocratic, a 29 in Permissive, and a 37 in Active. There are three different parenting styles. Authoritarian is like that of a dictator, having high control and management on child's life. This parenting style negatively effects children. Permissive parenting is playing a friendship role in the child's life and offering little direction. This parenting style can be negative and harmful as well. As I see it authoritative parenting is the best! You listen and correct your children, but are also very flexible, clear but permeable. Children learn so much when they are young and need parents guidance. I know that you can show your love for your child in many ways but also be authoritative as well.

Family Relations July 1st-5th

This week in Family Relations we discussed the importance of the mother and the father. We talked about how many mothers and fathers are both in the work force, and tried to determine if the need of both parents working was necessary. I believe that it is important to have a parent in the home with young children. Whether this parent is the mother or father, I believe that children will succeed in learning from their parents'. Either a father or a mother is able to work side by side with their children to show them the correct and appropriate ways to work and problem solve. Both parents are able to include children in working around the home, children feel accomplished when they see the effects of their work. I think the most important job parents have is to demonstrate attitudes that they want their children to develop within themselves. I do think that the world is focused on the tasks and wages of work instead of working to be supportive and showing love to your family. Husbands and wives should have the others main interests and concerns at heart, when this is able to happen both parents will be better examples to their children.

Family Relations June 24th-28th

This week in Family Relations we discussed the importance of communication. I absolutely love what President Kimball said, "You need to communicate so that you can be understood, but so that you cannot be misunderstood." I think this is so important, we should all act on communicating our feelings. Our thoughts and our feelings are encoded and the way we communicate them with others will allow them to accurately or inaccurately decode those thoughts and feelings that were expressed. Tone makes up 35%, words makes up 14%, and non-verbal communication makes up 51% of all communication. So the ways we choose to act when we communicate has a major impact on the message others receive. When issues come up that need to be discussed, which may cause argument, I think it is very important to ask questions to your partner. Also to repeat back information so that you can clearly make sure messages are being interpreted correctly, and validate each others feelings. These are some tools I use while I communicate.

Family Relations June 17th-21st

This week in Family Relations we discussed stressor events. I believe that stress does demand temporary change or adjustment but can also create opportunities. When the brain is sending a signal of danger, the individual can either choose fight, flight, or freeze. Freezing is also an important mechanism in determining our safety. Hill determined that when families go through stressor situations much of their family satisfaction decreases and sometimes never returns to the peak before the stressor. I believe we can choose our emotions. In class a student gave the example of: the stimulus + physiological response + Cognitive Interpretation (which is our ability to choose) = Emotion. How we as individuals choose to deal with our stressors varies but we can all control the emotions we feel caused by our stresses.

Family Relations-June 10th-14th

The topic we discussed in Family Relations this week had a significant impact on me and I found the information very applicable. I am getting married in September of this year and learning about the way male and female bodies respond to each other is important to understand. I believe that women need to feel emotionally close with their partner before sexual relations and having sexual relations allows the male to feel closer with his partner. In our brain oxytocin and serotonin, which are bonding and feel good chemicals, are released. This helps the husband and wife feel more love for one another. When females do not respond to the males feelings of sexuality the male feels distant and has a greater need for sexual relations. When the male does not help the female feel loved or important the female will have more of a tendency to decline sexual relations. This creates a distant relationship for both partners. In order to avoid this it is important to focus on each other and the needs of your significant other before the needs of yourself.

Family Relations June 3rd-7th

This week in Family Relations we discussed the emotions created by marriage and the critical tasks that make a great wedding. I am planning a wedding for September 14th, 2013 so this discussion was very important to me. One critical task we talked about was setting clear boundaries between my family and my fiancé's family. One struggle that my relationship has had, is the drifting boundaries between parents. I know how important it is to communicate with my fiancé and together make decisions for the wedding and future plans. Open communication is needed in planning the wedding and validating important responsibilities and roles of the husband and wife. Together the husband and wife can set priorities for themselves and adjust to the combination of their two lives.

Family Relations:May 27th-31st

This week in Family Relations I had one concept come through to me in a way that has never happened before. The topic we discussed in class was how to keep a happy relationship with your partner. My professor, Brother Williams, said that one of the best qualities every woman has is their ability to nurture. As I thought about being the nurturer in my relationship, it made me think of ways I could improve the relationship between my fiance and I. If there is a disagreement or argue, I can nurture that argument which will ease the tension and help both of us reach a conclusion. I believe both the man and the woman in the relationship know of ways to comfort each other. We also discussed how much of an impact shared attachment comes into play when developing a relationship. Similarities, shared ideals, and shared experiences will help couples understand and feel more compatible around each other.

Family Relations May 20th-24th

This week in Family Relations we had the opportunity to read an article entitled, Sisters Give Siblings Better Mental Health. In this article a study was done on the positive effects of having a sister either younger or older. Having a sister increased the feelings of love and placement in the family. This is especially close to me because I have one younger sister and no brothers. Even though I am the oldest, I have always felt comfort through my sister. She has always been there for me and we have a very strong support system between the two of us. My sister is my best friend and to me this study make a lot of sense, because without my sister I would not feel as loved or needed.
We also touched on men and women being an opposite sex. The question was asked in class, are boys and girls born different? And is our behavior innate or cultural? I believe that people are equal in the sense that we should all have the same opportunities, but we need to realize that not every person is the same.

Family Relations May13h-17th

This week in Family Relations we were able to discuss diversity in families. We discussed how easily it can be to judge someone when they fit into a certain class system. Our class watched a YouTube video called "Tammy's Story." Tammy was a single mother of two young sons, much like my mother only with two daughters. Tammy lived in a trailer and did not have a vehicle. Money was tight but Tammy did everything she could to provide for her family. Tammy walked 10 1/2 miles to work every day and knew that her circumstances were not perfect, but she was doing all she knew how to do. Tammy's sons were embarrassed of her and her oldest son even acted like he was better and higher up in class than the rest of his family. I think that everyone is trying to conform to the ways of the world. Everyone is trying to constantly seek attention and gain approval from each other, especially from those of a higher class. Your family can be the most important part in your life, through family love and support you can reach your full potential. There are many cultural differences, but our differences make us important and allow us to succeed.