1. Healthy Family Relationships
Strengthening Family Relationships and Looking at the Health of the Family

2. Functions of the Family
Primary Support System
Meeting Emotional Needs
Values and Religious Beliefs
Culture and Traditions

3. Functions of the Family
Instilling values and religious beliefs
Values – beliefs and feelings about what is important.

4. Family Structure Immediate family: parents and siblings
Extended family: your immediate family and other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Blended family: a family consisting of a couple and their children from this and all previous relationships.

5. Traits of a Healthy Family Relationship

6. Traits of a Healthy Family Relationship
Trust
Commitment
Affirmation
Love
Time
Solving Problems
Communication
Respect

7. Traits of a Healthy Family Relationship
Affirmation – adding positive input that helps others feel appreciated and supported.
Trust – high levels of trust include keeping promises and being honest for both parents and children.
Commitment – family members are willing to work together and make sacrifices so it will benefit the whole family.

8. Traits of a Healthy Family Relationship
Time Together – a strong healthy family relationship is not feasible without spending time together.
Communication – effective communication means listening to the viewpoint of others as well as being heard.

9. Traits of a Healthy Family Relationship
Respect – this includes acceptance of individual tastes, talents and opinions.
Solving Problems – identifying problems before they become too serious and asking for outside help.
Compromise: seeking a solution that is acceptable to all people involved.
Love – healthy families give and receive love to one another, physically and verbally.

10. Common Factors That Cause Family Stress

11. Change in Family Structure
Stressors
Moving
Financial Problems

12. Stressors
Substance Abuse
Illness or Disability

13. Dealing With Family Stress…
Speak with a parent or other adult
Help the situation
Read books/play games

14. Sibling Rivalry: Talk about differences Stay on subject
Use “I” messages
Discuss negative behavior
Do enjoyable activities

15. Separation and Divorce
Meeting the
needs of children
Custody
Separation and Divorce
Family Adjustments
Coping with change
Living with different people

16. How to Help
Negotiation: the use of communication and often compromise to settle a disagreement. (page: 266)
Family Counseling: therapy to restore healthy relationships in a family (page: 294)
Support Groups: provide troubled individuals with an opportunity to hear how others have handled similar situations.

17. Separation and Divorce
Coping with divorce
No fighting in front of children
No taking sides
Freely express feelings
Realize have no control over situation

18. Separation and Divorce
Surviving a breakup
Parents divorce each other, not the children
Children seldom the cause

19. Domestic Violence

20. Acts of violence involving family members:
Spousal Abuse: domestic violence directed at a spouse.
Child Abuse
Emotional Abuse: a pattern of behavior that attacks the emotional development and sense of worth of an individual
Neglect: the failure to provide for a child’s physical or emotional needs.

21. Common Symptoms of Neglect or Abuse
Sudden changes in behavior. 
Being overly compliant.
Not receiving help for physical and medical problems. 
Unexplained bites, bruises, broken bones and/or black eyes.