Let's Talk Family

Week Twelve: Divorce, Split-families, and Remarriage      This week was all on divorce, remarriage, and blending families. I was glad to look into the text on what is recommended for making the best out of a divorce or a split family situation, but instead I found a lot of evidence that reconfirms just how hard it can be. Of course, people are making it in families where there are some un-traditional family structures, I mean look at how many children are born into a family without a father, but that’s not ideal.      I’m speaking from experience here when I say there are other ways to get around a potential divorce or split. My parents divorced when I was only two and I was toted around as a little kid on dates as my father and mother began searching for a spouse. As an adult I’ve asked my parents and their spouses how dating went between them and they almost always bring up the fact that I was around as a little kid made the new marriage decis...

Week Eight: Family Under Stress, Crisis   This week I plan on writing this blog a little differently than I normally do. Instead of writing about what I learned and the concepts that were presented to me in class, I want to share some personal experiences that were in line with the things that we learned. This week we talked about stuff that was close to my heart and life, probably because unlike being married and dating regularly I’m used to dealing with family issues and crises and have learned to navigate them, with more finesse and strength than I used to.       I want to first point out that stress and some issues that arise in the family are usually a good thing and invite families to stretch and grow beyond their current circumstances. Without hard times families would never grow closer and overcome obstacles. But sometimes stressors can be so great that families can often strain and break under the pressure. These are events like death, divorce, une...

Week Five: Preparing For Marriage      Wow, well this week was certainly one that I will never forget. I think the material and discussions that I took part in this week were obviously very important, and I intend on applying everything that I learned, but overall, I just had fun learning from my wise teacher and my class.       So, what subject could have me so interested and entertained, well, in short, it’s dating! Yes, this week we talked all about dating, which seemed rather appropriate being the week of Valentines. I learned all sorts of practical applications to help ensure that dating can turn into appropriate and meaningful relationships. As a disclosure, I was way off the mark when it came to my thoughts on how to date and what to do prior to this lesson. But after reconsidering how I date; I am converting to this new way of dating and I’m excited to applying it.      Firstly, I want to throw myself under the bus ...

Week Four: Gender and Family Life            This week I was really humbled and brought to some new realizations that changed my perspective and understanding on the human species.            Most of my life, I have been taught that men and women are the same, other than some physical differences, we are all the same and should be treated as such. I have always been told that men and women need the same opportunities and should be respected in all points of life, but what I gained in mentality and support, I also lost a lot of fundamental truths that come along with understanding that men and women are actually very different, and that the differences are actually vital to all social structures whether  that’s the family unit, the social circle, or society as a whole. Understanding, respecting, and building upon these differences will inevitably improve the human family.         ...

Week Three: Social Class and Diversity             Hey everyone, I am really pleased to write this blog post today. In the past week I have had things brought to my attention that are very real and sensitive. As I try to relay what I learned I hope that you may understand the developed empathy and sincerity I use as I express my thoughts.       So, this week we covered social class and cultural diversity. To me, I thought this topic was sure to be valid regarding the family, but I learned that it actually is so much more encompassing.       In my preparation and studies, I was directed to a series of short films that are published on YouTube that show a diverse range of people and their unique circumstances. The videos showed the different social classes and the habits (traditions) that they followed. For example; in an upper-class family video, the rich folks in interviewed were very aware of their class and the...

Week Two:  Understanding Family Dynamics & Theories Hey family and friends!       I hope your week has been spectacular and filled with love. I'm glad that you've taken some time to read my weekly blog post. My hopes are that I may teach and learn new information with you that we may both grow in knowledge together. Today I'll share some of the amazing insight I learned this week from the material I read, and the discussions that I participated in. I hope you enjoy and see the eternal truths behind this trove of information. God bless.       So this week was all about the theories that have been made by professionals psychologists and family study professionals to help identify how families operate and sustain themselves. There are four different theories that I read on, they are; Exchange Theory, Conflict Theory, Symbolic Interaction Theory, and the Family System Theory. Each on of these explains the family dynamic in a way that is so...

Week one:  Societal Trends and the Family               Wow what a week! You know, I’ve not need disappointed by the material that I have been reading regarding the family this last week. My teacher has started our class out with our first topic which goes into the background of societal trends around marriage and family. The documentaries I watched and the articles I have read regarding this have properly blown my mind and led me to question the fabric of our current society regarding marriage and family. This week we have been learning an exorbitant amount of information that I never even knew was out there!                           I learned that there are indeed specific trends that are surfacing in our society that are going to have a profound effect on our future generations. A lot of these trends are not unheard of, actually in a daily conversation many of these t...