FAMILY What Are Families? Why are They Important?

A group of individuals who live together and cooperate as a unit What Are Families? Definition: A group of individuals who live together and cooperate as a unit

Families are who you love. Our families all “look” different and it's always been so. A family care giving unit might consist of a couple; a mother, father and children; a single parent and child; grandparent and grandchildren; a sibling group; a circle of friends; or however that family defines itself.

Families are the foundation of society. It's where we come into the world, are nurtured and given the tools to go out into the world, capable and healthy—or we aren't.

While families have the greatest potential for raising healthy individuals, they can also wound their members in places that will never heal. When families break down and fail to provide the healthy nurturing we need, the effects impact not only our own lives, but also our communities.

We all pay for unhealthy families We all pay for unhealthy families. If we ignore the suffering, we suffer the consequences, including: alienation and fear, as our neighborhoods turn into places where we no longer feel safe violence and crime

the costs of medical care for victims, policing, courts and prisons lost productivity the costs of medical care for victims, policing, courts and prisons the costs of a social support system to deal with the fallout from dysfunctional family relationships.

Since 1975, the divorce rate has doubled resulting in the increase of In the past few decades, the world has seen major changes in the face of the family. Since 1975, the divorce rate has doubled resulting in the increase of single-parent households, remarriages and extended families.

This is a discussion of the many definitions of “family” and how they demonstrate the changes that are occurring within the family.

Family units take a variety of forms, all of which involve individuals living under one roof.

The family form or structure does not indicate how healthy the family is or how they function. The family form is merely the physical makeup of the family members in relationship to each other without respect to roles and function. The variety of forms a family may take includes:

What Are the Different Types of Families? Nuclear Blended Unrelated Step Adopted Single Single parent Extended Childless Foster

Biological mom & dad with kids Nuclear Families Biological mom & dad with kids ►Traditional or Nuclear Consists of a mother, father, and one or more children.

The Most Common Type of Family in Today’s American Society. Nuclear Family The Most Common Type of Family in Today’s American Society.

Impressions Nuclear Families When you think nuclear family, think of the classic image of mom, dad, 2.5 kids 1/2 a dog, 1.5 cars and a house in Levittown.

Little Boxes By Malvina Reynolds 1. Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky-tacky, Little boxes, little boxes, Little boxes, all the same. There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same.

Little Boxes 2. And the people in the houses All go to the university, And they all get put in boxes, Little boxes, all the same. And there's doctors and there's lawyers And business executives, And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same.

Little Boxes 3. And they all play on the golf-course, And drink their Martini dry, And they all have pretty children, And the children go to school. And the children go to summer camp And then to the university, And they all get put in boxes And they all come out the same.

Little Boxes 4. And the boys go into business, And marry, and raise a family, And they all get put in boxes, Little boxes, all the same. There's a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same.

Quiz True or False Marriage makes men happier, but women more depressed.

Quiz Explanation Married men and women are less depressed, less anxious, and psychologically distressed than singles, divorced or widowed Americans.

Today’s Nuclear Families One-third to one-half of contemporary families are biological families under one roof. Today’s families have many challenges. Is there a “normal” family today?

Family Challenges Communication Intimacy Organization

Family Challenges Boundaries Relationships Trust

Family Challenges Acceptance Spending time together Roles

HIS HERS Blended Families A family in which both spouses have children from previous relationships OURS

Families that include children from a previous relationship Step Families Families that include children from a previous relationship

Families that include children that are not biologically theirs Adopted Families Families that include children that are not biologically theirs

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes

Book I Love You Like Crazy Cakes\Welcome to Discovery Education Player Book I Love You Like Crazy Cakes\Welcome to Discovery Education Player.ivr

An individual living alone Single Families An individual living alone

Single Parent Families Children who live with one parent ►Single parent Includes only one parent, the mother or the father, who lives with the children. Single parents may be divorced, widowed, unwed, or abandoned.

Families that include relatives other than parents and children Extended Families Families that include relatives other than parents and children ►Extended Is made up of nuclear or single-parent families plus other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Families with no children Childless Families Families with no children

Foster Parent Families Families who take in children temporarily ►Foster Includes parents who provide full-time child care for someone else’s child for a designated period of time.

Functions of Families 1.Reproduction To carry out humanity and survival of man.

Functions of Families 2.Socialization –Transmit culture, values to next generation.

Functions of Families 3. Economic Cooperation Fulfill survival needs of family as a unit. Food Clothing Shelter

Functions of Families 4. Emotional Security – Shape personalities, provide comfort and reassurance.

Family System Concepts The family is a system. A family has it’s own systemic needs. Each part of the system is interrelated to the other parts. When one part of the system is sick (dysfunctional) the other parts are sick. Kids may act out in a dysfunctional family.

Family System Concepts The system tries to be in it’s own balance. Some systems are healthy (functional) and some are unhealthy (dysfunctional). Families have rules, spoken or unspoken. Each person has a role in the system. Systems include boundaries. Some systems are open and some are closed. There are different types of connections between individuals in a system.

Healthy Families Exhibit the Following Characteristics: LOVE LEARNING LOYALTY LIBERTY LAUGHTER

Unhealthy Families Exhibit the following characteristics: Avoidance Tolerance Secrecy Closed Little Care or Hope

Family Role Expectations 7 “C”s Commitment Communication Companionship Concern Confidence Consideration Cooperation

Family Life Cycle Stage Duration(years) Newly married, no children 2 Families with infants 2.5 Families with preschool children 3.5

Family Life Cycle Stage Duration(years) Families with school children 7 Families with teenagers 7 Families as “launching centers” 11

Family Life Cycle Stage Duration(years) Empty nest families ~11 Families with retired or aging 11-15 members