Family Relationships PDF

Family Relationships MAIN IDEA​ ​Family members support one another. Of all your relationships​,​ family can be the most important. The family is the basic unit of society that teaches children how to build relationships and become independent. Your family is the greatest influence in developing yo...

Family Relationships MAIN IDEA​ ​Family members support one another. Of all your relationships​,​ family can be the most important. The family is the basic unit of society that teaches children how to build relationships and become independent. Your family is the greatest influence in developing your values and beliefs. The way you relate with your family prepares you for how you relate to other people for the rest of your life. Many types of families are found in the U.S. The figure in the Lesson Resources panel describes some of the different types. It is common for a nuclear family to live together. However, in other cultures, it is common for an extended family to live together. READING CHECK Define​ What is a family? Families Meet Needs The main job of a family is to meet the needs of its members. Families provide for basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter. They should also provide support and comfort. It is within a family that many of us also learn life skills. These are skills that are necessary to live a healthy, successful life. They include making connections to others, communicating with others, taking on challenges, the use of self-control and focus, and critical thinking. Healthy families also nurture other family members. A healthy family nurtures all sides of each family members health triangle. Physical health. Families care for their members by providing food, clothing, and shelter. Mental/Emotional health. Family members give each other love, acceptance, and support. They also pass along traditions, values, and beliefs. Social health. Families teach their members how to get along with each other and with people outside the family. It is within your family that you learn the character, values, and beliefs that shape your decisions throughout life. You may learn these from your parents or other extended family members. Your character, values, and beliefs may be influenced by your family’s culture, traditions, and religious beliefs. These influence the way you treat other people and the decisions you make during your life. They can also influence the activities in which you participate, the foods you eat, and the health habits you choose. Your values and beliefs can even help you choose not to participate in risky behaviors, such as using tobacco, alcohol, or drugs. READING CHECK Explain​ What does ​nurture​ mean? Roles and Responsibilities in the Family Every family member has a unique role in the family. A role is a part you play when you interact with another person. Each role has its own set of responsibilities. Parents and other adults in a family have the responsibility of meeting the basic needs of the family. Parents also have the responsibility of teaching and modeling good health and communication skills. The role of children in the family is to follow family rules, learn good communication skills, and show respect and appreciation by accepting or sharing responsibility. For example, a teen can show appreciation by helping out more around the house if both parents are busy. Helping older family members, watching younger siblings, or finishing household tasks are all ways to show your parents that you appreciate them. Family roles can change. As you get older, you will take on more responsibilities. You may be asked to help with older family members, such as grandparents. You may take on more responsibilities in the home or with younger siblings. Each time you accept a new responsibility, you gain the opportunity to learn a new skill while showing respect, love, and support for your family. Building Strong Families MAIN IDEA​ ​A strong family is built on good relationships. People with strong family relationships feel connected. They believe in the abilities of each member of the family, as well as feel safe and secure. The list below provides guidelines for making and keeping strong family relationships. Support other family members.​ Knowing that your family believes in you adds meaning when you succeed. Support can also help you when you don’t succeed. Show appreciation for each other.​ Families grow stronger when each member shows appreciation to the other members. For example, a child may say “Thank you for dinner” to parents or guardians. Another way to show appreciation is to help with tasks such as cleaning the dishes or folding laundry. Follow family rules.​ Many families have rules. Some are related to responsibilities, such as when to do your homework, or when to take out the trash. Other rules may include what time to be home, when to use the computer, or when the TV can be on. Following the rules at home builds trust and respect among family members. Spend quality time together.​ Take time for activities that include the whole family. Some families always have dinner together to talk about events of the day. Others plan evenings at home or weekend outings together. Use good communication skills.​ Talking openly helps everyone solve problems and disagreements. Communication helps to develop trust and respect. Show and share responsibility.​ Do your tasks and chores without being asked. Taking on additional responsibility during busy times is a way of modeling respect for your parents. Show respect.​ Speak to family members in a respectful tone of voice. Show respect for differences among family members. Show respect for the rights of others as well as their privacy and personal belongings. READING CHECK Assess​ How do the criteria listed above help build strong family relationships? Changes in the Family MAIN IDEA​ ​Families deal with change. Changes and challenges affect every family. Having strong family relationships makes it easier to cope with changes. Changes within the family will occur as the children grow and accept increased responsibilities. If one sibling goes to college another sibling may take over the responsilbity of walking a younger sibling home from school. Some changes may be minor and end after a period of adjustment. Other changes may affect a family's structure. The birth of a baby, a marital separation, becoming part of a blended family, and divorce are all permanent changes to the family that will require a period of adjustment. Change may also occur in the family situation. Some of these include the loss of a job, illness or injury, military service, or moving to a new home. If a family moves so that a parent can take a better job in another city, the adjustment to a new city is difficult. However, the family may benefit after adjusting to the new city by gaining new places to explore, meeting new friends, taking on new challenges, and feeling that your family has become closer because of the move. Changes that affect your whole family may feel out of your control. Sometimes family change can cause you to worry, feel stress, or sadness. When families experience change, it becomes more important for you to communicate openly and truthfully with other family members about your feelings. During your talks with family members, you can all explore solutions to family issues that are affecting you. Sometimes outside help may be needed to deal with serious change. Family members may seek help from family counselors who are specially trained to help family work through issues. Others that may help include health care workers, religious leaders, lawyers, or law enforcement. Refer to the figure in the Lesson Resources panel for a list of positive ways to cope with family changes. READING CHECK Identify​ Name two changes that can occur in a family. Serious Family Problems MAIN IDEA​ ​Serious family problems may require help from counselors or others. Family problems can sometimes be serious and require outside help. Drug or alcohol addiction is a serious problem. While it may be that only one family member is addicted to drugs or alcohol, the whole family suffers. A family needs outside help to deal with drug or alcohol addiction. A serious family situation that may require the help of police or other authorities is abuse (uh-BYOOS). Abuse can affect children or adults. Physical abuse involves the use of physical force, such as hitting or pushing. A person who is physically abused may show bruises, scratches, burns, or broken bones. Emotional abuse can also be serious. Emotional abuse occurs when someone always yells or puts down another person. Emotional abuse can damage a person’s self-esteem. Sexual abuse is any mistreatment of a child or adult involving sexual activity. Sexual abuse is unwanted use of forced sexual activity including touching private body parts or being forced to touch body parts. Sexual abuse also includes showing sexual materials to a child. Abuse often includes secrets, and threats to keep secrets. A parent or guardian is responsible for caring for a child’s physical, mental/emotional and social needs. When a parent fails to provide proper care, he or she may be charged with neglect​.​ Physical neglect can include not providing food, shelter, clothing, or medical care. Emotional neglect means not giving love and respect. All forms of abuse and neglect are against the law. Such family problems may also require outside help. Any person who feels abused or neglected must find someone who can help. The process of getting help can start by talking to another trusted adult, a teacher, a school counselor, or a medical professional. READING CHECK Define​ What is abuse, and what forms can it take? Taking Responsibility When change happens in the family, you can show your support by taking on more responsibility. Jamar’s mother has taken on more work hours to help support the family. Now she has to be at work at 6:00 A.M. Jamar offered to help his younger sister get breakfast, get ready for school, and get on the bus safely each morning.