Family Relationships Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown

Think about families….. Families have changed over time. Think about family structure 100 years ago. Who made up the “typical family”?

1895

How about 50 years ago?

1964

How about 25 years ago?

1990

What about today?

First, let’s define family Family is defined as a domestic group of people with some degree of kinship. This kinship is through blood, marriage, association, or adoption. Families can be made up of a mother, father, siblings (brother/sister) and other relatives such as aunt, uncle, cousins, grandparents, and step parents or other people you consider to be part of your group. HOW DO YOU DEFINE YOUR FAMILY? Thinking back to your diagram, who makes up your family?

Considerations It is important to note that we all have different definitions of “family”. However you define it, FAMILY is one of the most important “groups” in a person’s life. Why do you think it is the most important group? Family is our first intimate relationship in the world. Intimacy (at its core) is defined as close familiarity

The purpose…… Families serve many different purposes or functions in our lives. Family can provide us with love, support, guidance, help, understanding, and humor. Family is a group that knows our past, present, and will celebrate our future. Often times, we realize the value of our family, but we often forget or take for granted the people that are in this group.

What if there are “cracks”? Throughout our lives, our families will disappoint. No one is perfect, so it is unfair to our family and ourselves to believe that our family can be perfect. There will be arguments and disagreements as well as hurt feelings and judgments. But….it is how you choose to move on and go forward that makes the biggest difference in our relationships with our family.

But you can make the choice to fix the cracks….. Just like any relationship, family relationships take time and effort. Family relationships are truly a “give and take”. You have to learn how to compromise to make the relationship work. What other relationships would compromise be important? “Family faces are magic mirrors looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future”. ~Gail Lumet Buckley

You are not stuck forever…. A person can make the choice to “detach” from their family and disassociate. Although you are BORN into a family, you are not under any law required to have a relationship as an adult. Why might a person chose this option? What would be the positive consequences of detaching? Would there be any negative consequences?

Is family important….. Is family important ? Why or why not? What is one purpose families serve? What are your families two best qualities? Explain How would you classify your family?

Families teach us to FUNCTION Families have always served a FUNCTION, meaning the purpose of a family essentially is to TEACH younger generations. Families do the following for the younger generation: How to Socialize How to Meet Physical Needs How to Meet Emotional Needs Influence Roles in Society

How to Socialize Families are initially responsible for teaching their children how to socialize. Families should teach their children the “standards of society”, meaning what is acceptable verses unacceptable behavior. Families should teach, train, and provide examples of good social behavior.

How to Meet our Physical Needs Families are responsible for providing care and protection for family members. Families should provide food, clothing, shelter, and protection from injury, harm, and disease. Families provide this need but also need to PRODUCE—like show how to cook, clean, eat healthy, take care of clothes, etc.

How to meet our Emotional Needs Families provide companionship for one another. Remember, family is our first intimate relationship. Families help a person develop close relationships and learn how to talk, listen, resolve conflict, and be part of a group. Families show a person how to LOVE—what it looks like to be loved and love another in return.

Influence our Role in Society Families influence the path a person takes in society. Your future role in society is influenced by your family’s values, meaning how much VALUE is placed on education, career satisfaction, and financial stability. Your family also gives you a cultural identity. The “group” you identify your language, religion, dress, food, and celebrations with is often your family.

The Foundation A person’s family is the foundation for life. Family is the first relationship we experience in this world. On a good day, our families provide us guidance and support in this great big world. Ideally, a person’s family should possess the following qualities: Shared InterestsHonestyReliability Trust What other qualities would be important for a family to possess?

Qualities We Want Let’s as a group, identify more important qualities that all families need to function at their best. One volunteer is needed to write our ideas down on the board. Kindly shout out qualities we all would like to have in our family. In your “qualities” section of the assignment sheet, write down at least 10.

What types of family structures exist? Because so many people can make up a family, there are different types of families: Single People Couples Nuclear Family Binuclear Family Same Sex Parenting Family Single-Parent Family Blended Family Extended Family Adoptive Family Legal Guardian Family Foster Family

Types of Families Single people may live alone, but a single person does belong and bond with a family or friends. Couples are also a family. No children exist in the relationship, but the couple may be married or in a deeply committed relationship. Nuclear Families are defined as having a mother, father, and children. Binuclear Families are defined as the parents are “divorced” and raising the children together. Same Sex Parenting Families are defined as having same sex parents and children. Single Parent Families consist of one parent and children.

More Families Blended Families consist of a committed couple and their children from previous relationships as well as new children born to the couple. Extended Families consist of many relatives— grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, children—sometimes living together. Adopted Families consist of a child who was adopted by the family. Legal Guardian Families consist of a relative or friend taking on the role of a parent and raising the child. Foster Families consists of people taking on a parental role and helping raise a child in a crisis.