1. Lesson 8 Your Family Ties

2. Key Terms Nuclear family Single-parent family Blended family Extended family Inter generational Nurture Socialization Family life cycle Support system

3. Objectives Compare different family forms. Explain the primary functions of families. Describe the traditional family life cycle and its variations. Assess the effects of current social trends on family life. Give examples of ways to strengthen families.

4. Families Today All families share certain things in common, such as the basic responsibility of caring for their members. When you think about families you know, you can probably recognize several different forms of families.

5. Families Today continued The most basic family form is the nuclear family, consisting of a husband, wife and their children. A single parent family is headed by one parent. Some single parents have never been married; some are widowed.

6. Families Today continued Most single-parent families, however are formed when parents are separated or divorced from one another. If a single parent remarries, a blended family is formed. Blended families can include children of each spouse, plus new children of the couple.

7. Families Today continued There may be variations within these family forms. For example, children may join the family by either birth or adoption. Some families, include foster children who have been temporarily placed in their care.

8. Families Today continued The extended family is a larger family group-not only your parents and siblings but also your grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. The family that includes children, parents, and one or more grandparents living under the same roof might be referred to as inter generational, since it includes three generations.

9. Family functions Throughout history and in every society, families have served an important purpose. They nurture family members by providing the care and attention needed to promote development.

10. Family functions continued Families provide the structure in which children learn to become independent and to live successfully in society. The characteristics and qualities of these new adults influence what society as a whole is like.

11. Meeting Physical Needs The most basic responsibility of families is to provide for family member’s physical needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter. Infants and young children are entirely dependent on the physical care provided by families.

12. Meeting Physical Needs At times, others in the family may also need special physical care due to an illness, accident, or disability. Physical needs include responsibility for health and safety. Parents must make certain their children eat nutritious foods and receive appropriate health care.

13. Meeting Physical Needs Parents also need to set rules for children to keep them safe and teach them responsible behavior.

14. Promoting Intellectual Development The family is a child’ first teacher- sharing knowledge, stimulating thinking, and encouraging creativity. Parents, siblings, and other family members can all help a young child learn. Even after the child is in school, the family needs to remain actively involved in his or her learning. Parents can learn from children, too. Such as a child helping their parent use a computer.

15. Meeting emotional needs Families nurture an emotional development by showing love and acceptance. Being loved and accepted by your family helps you develop a positive self-image and high self-esteem. It enables you to show love and affection for others.

16. Meeting emotional needs Families also teach children how to express their emotions in acceptable ways. In a strong family, emotional bonds last a lifetime. Whenever family members are facing difficulties, they feel confident their family will be willing to listen and help.

17. Encouraging Social Skills The process of socialization begins in the family. Socialization means learning how to interact with other people. The family teaches basic social skills such as communication, cooperation, and respect for others.

18. Encouraging Social Skills The social skills that children learn in the family carry over into their other relationships throughout life. Some social skills are taught directly, such as when parents teach young children to say “please” and “thank you”. More often, children learn social skills by observing and following the examples set by others.

19. Encouraging Social Skills Even very young children pay attention to how adults in the family interact with each other and with people outside the family. Everything children hear or see-words, tone of voice, body language-helps form their idea of appropriate behavior. That’s why being a good role model is such an important parental responsibility.

20. Instilling Moral Values Families help children develop values that will be a basis for their actions and decisions throughout life. Children need to learn the importance of honesty, respect, fairness and other values. Individuals and society benefit when people have a healthy sense of right and wrong.

21. Instilling Moral Values As with social skills, families teach moral values both directly and by example. With very young children, teaching focuses on behavior. Two year olds follow the rules because it helps them get what they want.

22. Instilling Moral Values When they are older, they learn the reasons for the rules. By age ten or twelve, children have learned to show respect and consideration for others.

23. The Family Life Cycle

24. Family researchers know that families go through a process of growth and change over the years. They name this process the Family life Cycle. The life cycle model can’t reflect all variations, but it does give a general picture of how families must adapt to changing situations and priorities.

25. The Family Life Cycle Beginning Stage: Two people marry Establish a home and learn to live together Priorities include: building their relationship working out their respective roles setting goals for the future.

26. The Family Life Cycle Parenting Stage: Couple becomes parents Priorities focus on raising children Have less time for activities as a couple

27. The Family Life Cycle Launching Stage: Children begin to leave home and become independent. They must adjust to new responsibilities. Parents must learn to relate to them as adults.

28. The Family Life Cycle Middle –age stage: Children leave home Parents have more time to focus on being a couple again. Reassess their careers, Take up new hobbies Become involved with community Preparing for retirement

29. The Family Life Cycle Retirement stage: Retirement gives more time for leisure activities. Travel Move to smaller home/retirement community. Health and independence are major concerns.

30. Other situations….. Some couples don’t have children. Some marry and become parents later in life Stages may overlap Divorce and remarriage cause families to repeat certain stages. Some people of retirement age keep working and perhaps even start new careers.

31. Trends Affecting Families Every family experiences changes and many of the changes result from social trends. Here are some of the trends affecting family life today: Roles and responsibilities Traditional model: Father earned the family income Mother took care of the home and family In today’s society usually both parents work and share responsibilities.

32. Trends Affecting Families Smaller families Long ago: average number of children was seven large families were necessary for helping with the farm. Today many couples: postpone or pass up having children. Average number of children per family is currently less than two.

33. Trends Affecting Families Divorce and remarriage: Compared to 50 years ago, more marriages today end in divorce. When people with children remarry, everyone in the blended family must adjust to new relationships.

34. Trends Affecting Families Single-parent households: Most of these are headed by women, although the percentage headed by men is increasing. Single parents face the challenge of raising their children alone while working to support the family. Having the sole responsibility makes it hard for the parent to spend time with friends or build new relationships.

35. Trends Affecting Families Longer Life Spans People are living longer than in the past. They are healthier and active Many adults are the primary care givers for both their aging parents and their own children. These folks are referred to as the “Sandwich Generation”

36. Trends Affecting Families Increase mobility Today families are highly mobile. Most common reason to move is job change or promotion. Major disadvantage is being separated from the extended family.

37. Trends Affecting Families Advances in technology Cell phones, emails, instant messaging makes it easier for families to stay connected. Technology has helped many people have the opportunity to work out of their home.

38. Trends Affecting Families Downfall Spending more time on electronic entertainment leaves less time for real family interaction.

39. Strong Family Elements Respect Communication Trust Emotional Support Sharing Support Systems

40. Strong Family Elements Respect : People in strong families respect each other’s abilities, needs, and opinions, even if they don’t share them. They accept and appreciate their differences.

41. Strong Family Elements Other ways to show respect Listen to and consider others’ points of view. Follow rules your family sets for you. Ask before you borrow someone else’s property. Give others the privacy they need. Be considerate of others’ feelings. Avoid negative comments.

42. Strong Family Elements Communication Effective communication is basic to all relationships and family relationship are no exception. Schedules and plans have to be made therefore communication is a must. It is impossible to develop closeness without open, honest communications. Ways for families to communicate: Post your schedule on a board Have family meetings

43. Strong Family Elements Trust When there’s trust you can count on your family’s help and support. Parents trust teens to do what they are supposed to do, even when the parents are not around to enforce the rules. Building trust in families is a two-way street. If you want your parents to give you their trust, you must show them that you are trustworthy.

44. Strong Family Elements Emotional Support Emotional support includes words and actions that are positive and reassuring. When people face challenging situations and need confidence, knowing that someone believes in them makes a difference. You can show emotional support in little ways everyday.

45. Strong Family Elements Sharing Sharing is one of the first lessons that children learn, and it remains an important tool for strengthening family ties. One way of sharing is to work together toward common goals.

46. Strong Family Elements Dividing responsibilities helps a family function efficiently and lets everyone make a contribution. Family traditions can help create a sense of shared identity and history. Simply to spend time with family is perhaps the most important way of sharing.

47. Strong Family Elements Support Systems A support system consists of all the people and organizations a family can turn to for help. Having a support system is especially important when challenging situations occur.

48. Strong Family Elements A support system usually starts with the extended family Then the community can also be a resource you can depend on. Schools and places of worship are also a part of the support system that a family may need to use.

49. Your Role of The Family As a teen in the family your responsibilities may be changing. You may be expected to help more around the house. At the same time you may also be more active in obligations outside of the home.

50. Your Role of The Family Finding time to balance the family and friends can be challenging. You will need to find time to plan ahead so that you can continue to be involved with family matters. Strong families are the foundations to strong communities.