CHAPTER 12 Stress and Success in Family Life Child, Family, and Community: Family-Centered Early Care and Education Sixth Edition Janet Gonzalez-Mena Updated by: Ruby Willey-Rendon, West Texas A&M University

Working with Families Concerns of families addressed so far: Children’s development Education Socialization Review Ecological Model in Chapter 1

Small Group Work Discuss and response: Come up with a working definition of a family. Your definition should reflect each group member’s views. Read and reflect: Does your definition reflect all families you know?

Families Come in all Forms Kinship networks Step or blended Adopted / Foster Gay or lesbian Single-parent Communal Others you can identify?

Implications for Educators Children are embedded in families Families have stressors Educators are in a unique position to: Support families through stress and success Promote healthy connections

Successful Families Successful Families: support and nurture its members so that everyone’s needs are met. feel a wide range of emotions and are free and able to express them when appropriate.

Successful Families Traits Include: Healthy involvement Attachment and commitment Give time and attention to family Recognize and respect boundaries What other traits can you identify?

Meet the Families Select one of the families introduced in this chapter Perhaps it is a family you had the most difficulty accepting Review the story of this family Identify the strengths in the family

Families Successes Stressors Commitment Attachment to each other Individual independence & group interdependence Able to give and receive nurturing Coping skills Build self-esteem Poverty Special needs of children Substance abuse Divorce/custody issues Lack of support Bias issues Inaccessible resources Communication difficulties

Stress as a Positive Force Stress can be a growth factor. Example: Stress is useful can be seen in the way a baby’s bones form to enable the child to walk.

Research on Resilient Children Sense of connection to someone in early year Can elicit positive responses from others Problem-solvers Needed by someone else Perceive setbacks constructively

All Children Can be Resilient Important to recognize that of those who were not considered resilient most were able to create meaningful lives. It just took longer. Important to balance stress levels with positive or protective factors

Helping Build Resilience Connect family with resources Teach and model skills for creating connection and gaining support Teach and model problem solving Give children responsibility Provide positive role models

-- Ellen Galinsky (researcher) Words of wisdom… “Things can be hard, but they don’t have to do us in. It isn’t whether good or bad things happen to you; it’s how you handle them that matters.” -- Ellen Galinsky (researcher)