Single Parenting & Blended Families Journal What are some of the challenges a single parent faces? What are some ways to deal with those challenges? What are some of the challenges a blended family faces? What are some ways to deal with these challenges? Text Read Pg , Do Review #1-7, pg. 385

Families An intact family is the basic social unit. A mother, father, and children are the preferable setting for rearing children. Children benefit from learning how adult males and females interact in a happy marriage.

Single Parenting Single parents must overcome the loss of an efficient economic unit, where the labor is divided between two adult. A large majority of single parents do not receive child support, and if they do, it is often insufficient. Child care becomes a problem when there are young children in the home. Time is a scarce commodity. Balancing the responsibilities of the mother, father, homemaker and breadwinner is difficult.

When Mama Comes Home Tonight

Blended Families Once a person remarries, a whole new set of traditions, rules and extended relationships have to be adapted to. Flexibility and humor will help the new marriage work. Patience is critical.

Blended Family Case Scenarios The new parent has brought two new children into a family, where there are already three children. How should physical space be divided? How should the new family handle discipline? Which parent would discipline which child? Is the other parent given the authority necessary to discipline? Who will decide upon issues such as household chores and responsibilities? How is the work divided? By what names will the new parent be called?

Blended Family Case Scenarios Are there ever times when the original family will need to be alone, without the inclusion of the new members? How will the decision about how to spend holidays be made? What traditions will be maintained and what new ones will be adopted? Should a blended family live in the original home of one of the families or should they find a new residence? Could staying in the old home cause problems? Who will decide how vacations will be spent and what family traditions will be adopted?

Video clips “Step Mom” Scene 10 (Father’s remarriage) to when family finishes talking. Scene 26 (Difficulties for both moms) to when two moms finish talking. Scene 28 (Unified) to the end of family pictures.

Blended Families: Yours, Mine, and Ours Video