Ch 3 Building strong families

Everyone needs food, clothing, and shelter. -It is the family’s responsibility to meet these needs. -Strong families also meet the emotional, intellectual and social needs too. -The family should be the child’s first teacher; they should love one another, as well as show how to take turns, share, and work toward common goals. -By living with others in the family, children are prepared to live with others in society.

Family Structure- Nuclear family- includes a mother and father and at least one child. There are two parents to help raise the children Single-parent families: includes either a mother or a father and at least one child. The absent parent might have died or left after a divorce Custodial parent: is the one in which the child resides, a necessary break from the challenges of single parenthood Blended families: is formed when a single parent marries another person, who may or may not have children. This new parent becomes the child step parent

Extended families: includes a parent or parents, at least one child, and relatives other than a parent or child who live with them. Legal guardian: is a person who is designated by a legal process to assume responsibility for raising a child Adoption is a legal process in which a child may enter a family they weren’t born into, they have the same legal rights as biological children

Family life cycles: Beginning stage: a couple works to establish a home and their marriage relationship Stage 1: expanding stage: prepares and adjusts to parenthood stage 2: developing stage: as children grow, parents work to meet childrens challenging needs to help them develop independence Stage 3: launching stage: children gradually leave home to support themselves Middle age: a couple renews their relationship and prepares for retirement. Retirement: the couple stops full time work and adjusts to having more free time

Trends affecting families: Mobility: Families being spread out all over and try to maintain strong ties Aging population: People living longer, advances in medicine; thus people are not only caring for their children but also their parents Intergenerational: relationships between older and younger age groups Economic changes Primary concern as to why both parents are employed. Major impact because families are smaller then they used to be and having children later in life Workplace changes People getting laid off and finding new careers; and a higher number people who work out of their homes Technology Makes life easier and more complicated. The more technology the higher effects of people being more isolated from one another

Sources of Family Support- With all the stresses and demands anymore in life, it is important that family members be there for each other. If they are not, or if the problem is serious it is important to seek professional help Building a Strong Family- Families are not just a group of individuals who happen to be related, they are a group where all members should feel accepted and safe. As families spend more time together they form stronger bonds and traditions, which are all very important

Traditions provide a sense of continuity, understanding, and appreciation that brings a family together. There are 3 types of traditions: 1.Celebration Traditions- events that are centered on special occasions such as birthdays and holidays. 2.Family Traditions- events and special activities created to fit a family’s lifestyle such as vacations or family reunions 3. Patterned Family Interactions- actions centered on daily routines in life such as dinnertime and bedtime

Shared values: beliefs that are held by an individual, family, community or society. Acceptable behavior in respect to honesty, respect, responsibility, friendliness, kindness, and tolerance. Things that help shape values include: Society Family Religious affiliations if there are any Friends School

Handling family conflict: Understand each others view points Learn to resolve differences Understand each others feelings Tips to handle them effectively: Keep cool Be an active listener Use positive body language

Chapter 3.2 Effective parenting skills

Meeting childrens needs Physical needs: Food, clothing and shelter Emotional and social needs: Feel safe, loved and cared for Intellectual needs: Minds are stimulated and given the opportunity to learn When parents don’t or cant meet their childs basic needs it can lead to deprivation which is the lack of critical needs and an encouraging environment

Physical needs Under law parents must fulfill a child's needs Parents are also responsible for their child's health and safety They are responsible to make sure that: They are in a car seat suited for their age Eliminating hazards in the home Know where their children are at all times

Emotional and social needs Parents must Nurture their children so they become: Socially ready Emotionally read and independent Remove barriers Show love and support Communicating and giving them time and attention A parent can show to much love and support that can prevent the child from learning how to deal with the ups and downs of life

Intellectual needs: Children begin learning at birth They learn from: touching, tasting, and playing with objects around them Parents can nurture early learning through: Playing with their children Filling their environment with interesting sounds, smells, sights and things to touch Parents need to continue to provide opportunities for play and learning such as playing ball, borrowing books from the library

Parenting styles: Parenting style: How parents and other caregivers care for and discipline children Authoritarian: believes children should obey their parents without question Assertive-democratic: children have more input into the rules and limits of the home. They learn to take responsibility Permissive: parents give children a wide range of freedom. Children set their own rules and are encouraged to think for themselves.

Guiding childrens behavior Can be the hardest yet the most rewarding task of parenting Guidance means to use firmness and understanding to help children learn how to behave Self discipline: the ability to control their own behavior It promotes security and positive self esteem and it helps children learn the difference between right and wrong Children develop a conscience, or an inner sense of what is right Three basic ways to successfully guide children: Being a role model Setting limits Positive reinforcement- a response that encourages a particular behavior

Be specific Clearly comment on the behavior Comment on the behavior as soon as possible Recognize the behavior right away Recognize small steps Encourage steps in the right direction Help children take pride in their actions Praising them for doing something for themselves Tailor the encouragement to the needs of children Praise behaviors that are hard for children Use positive reinforcement wisely Do not praise all the time, it will no longer motivate them

Dealing with inappropriate behavior Deal with the behavior quickly and appropriately The childs age should determine the response to the inappropriate behavior 1) is it expected behavior appropriate 2) does the child understand the behavior was wrong 3) did the child do the behavior knowingly and deliberately

Unintentional misbehavior If the child had no way of knowing it was wrong Do not scold but explain why they shouldn’t have done something Using punishment effectively: punishment used thoughtfully and with good judgment can be effective Reminds children that appropriate behavior is important and teach them that there are consequences

Negative Reinforcement: a response aimed at discourage children from repeating an inappropriate or unacceptable behavior Natural consequences: when children suffer from the actual result of their actions Logical consequence: discipline the child that has a connection to the misbehavior: coloring on the table =taking the crayons away Loss of privileges: most effective for children ages 5 and over, make sure the privilege taken away is related to the misbehavior Time-out: a short period of time in which a child sits away from other people and the center of activity. The purpose is so the child a chance to calm down and regain self control. One minute of time per year of age.

Poor disciplinary measures Bribing: children don’t learn self-control, they learn to expect rewards for ending inappropriate behavior. Therefore they will misbehave so they can get a reward Making children promise to behave: children may feel forced to lie about misbehavior rather than disappointing someone they love Shouting or yelling: can frighten young children, those that yell aren’t modeling acceptable behavior Shaming or belittling: shouldn’t ridicule children’s mistakes or make comments Threatening to withhold love: creates a fear of being rejected or abandoned Exaggerating the consequence: to threaten wildly impractical consequences. This can cause a parent to lose credibility.