Family

Journal

• Explain your family situation. Who do you live with? How many siblings? Do you know both your parents? Do you live with your parents?

Relationship Bank Account

We have a different bank account with every person we have a relationship with.

The quality of our relationships depends on how many deposits and withdrawals we make in each account.

When there are significant “funds” in our bank accounts, an occasional withdrawal will not damage the relationship.

Minimize withdrawals and make generous deposits on a regular basis.

Activity

Skills for A Healthy Relationship

• Communication• Exchange of thoughts, feelings, and

beliefs between two or more people.

• Cooperation• Working together for the good of all

• Compromise• Problem-solving method in which each

participant gives up something to reach a solution that satisfies everyone.

Cooperation/compromise comic strip

Stereotypical Family

• Working Dad

• Stay-at-home Mom

• 2-3 Children

Only 10% of all US households are in this family form.

Function of the Family

1. Emotional Needs

2. Physical Needs

3. Culture/Tradition

4. Social Skills

Types of Families

• Nuclear Family: two parents and one or more children living in the same place

• Single Parent Family: one parent caring for one or more children.

• Blended family: consist of a married couple and their children from previous marriages (formed when a single parent remarries). (His, mine and ours clip)

• Extended family: a family that includes additional relatives beyond parents and children.

• Adoptive family: consists of a parent or parents and one or more adopted children. Can have both adopted and biological children.

• Foster family: the temporary placement of children in the homes of adults who are not related to them.

Secrets to Strong

Families

• You may not come from a strong family.

• You may come from a broken family.

• BUT you can create a functioning strong family in your future.

• Strong families lead to healthy relationships outside of the family and healthy functioning adults.

1. Appreciation

• Give it frequently

• Be appreciative of “Invisible Work”

• Behavior is contagious

• Don’t give up too quickly

2. Affection

• Small touches, hugs & kisses

• Use verbal affection often (appreciation, compliments, etc.)

• Develops bonding

• Don’t assume they “already know it”

3. Commitment

• Go with each other when one of you has an activity.

• Share daily experiences.

• Show that you are in it for long haul. (You won’t give up on family easily.)

4. Time Together

• Quality time is better than quantity time.

• Family Experiences• Vacations• Camping

• Daily Experiences• Eating together!!!!• Chores• Doing homework

• The purpose of the experience is to strengthen the relationship.

• Traditions

5. Creative Problem Solving

• Strong families can solve problems in creative ways.

• Happy families have the same number of arguments, but they focus on happy times.

• It is ok to have problems, but the key is to solve them quickly.• The longer you are in an argument, the

harder it is to get out. Why?

6. Communication

• Communication is the key!

• Be willing to share daily events and experiences often to foster communication.

• Without communication, the family unit falls apart.

• Is there a member of your family that you have not talked to for a long time because of a conflict? How does this lack of communication make you feel?