CHAPTER 15 – MARRIAGE AND FAMILY STRENGTHS AND NEEDS Instructor: Wendy Crapo

Used by permission of THE ACADEMY OF NURSING 2355 E. 3900 S. S.L.C., UT 84124 801-506-0064

Families are dynamic: RECURRING THEMES: There will always be families and they will always continue to change.

RECURRING THEMES cont’d: Families are diverse: Families are a composite of race, ethnicity, social class, gender, and lifestyle variety.

RECURRING THEMES cont’d: Families satisfy important societal and personal needs: Societal health and stability depends in large part on strong and stable families.

RECURRING THEMES cont’d: Families need societal support: The family needs greater societal and institutional support to overcome problems and grasp opportunities.

MARITAL NEEDS Desire for intimacy Needs to be balanced with maintaining a separate identity Interpersonal competence: The ability to share and develop an intimate, growing relationship with another.

MARITAL STRENGTHS VS FAMILY STRENGTHS Many of the traits of healthy marriages are also found in healthy families. Childfree couples generally have more time for each other and substantially less psychological, economic and physical stress. Many of our marital skills develop alongside our family skills. Do Families with children generally have more stability? Why? Question:

DAVID MACE’S ESSENTIAL ASPECTS OF SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE: Commitment Communication Creative use of conflict

SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGES: Numerous studies show correlation between communication patterns and marital satisfaction. Commitment involves ongoing growth, willingness to work and ability to work. Commitment to the sexual relationship within marriage is essential to marital strength. Commitment involves give-and-take in order to be together and nurture the marriage. Commitment to success is an essential component.

FAMILY STRENGTHS Activity: Traits of a Healthy Family by Dolores Curran surveyed 500 family professionals and asked them what the top ten traits of healthy families were. Activity: In groups determine the priority of each trait. _____Develops a sense of trust _____Has a balance of interaction among members _____Has a shared religious core _____Teaches respect for others _____Teaches a sense of right and wrong _____Communicates and listens _____Has a sense of play and humor _____Affirms and supports one another _____Exhibits a sense of shared responsibility _____Strong sense of family in which rituals and traditions abound 4 9 10 3 7 1 5 2 6 8

FAMILY STRENGTHS Commitment is a prevailing characteristic Identify family goals Positive family identity Work to promote growth of other family members Affirmation, respect for others and the world & trust Strong parental role models Communication is direct Responsibility Moral code and spiritual orientation give meaning, purpose & hope Allow children to make mistakes and face the consequences Make time for family Traditions and sense of family history

FAMILY STRENGTHS cont’d Questions: What types of rituals, traditions, or holidays are practiced in your own family? How do these types of events strengthen families? Which is more important quality time or quantity time?

FAMILY QUALITY Family quality can be seen as a continuum over the life cycle Cohesiveness of the family is severely tested at times but can emerge stronger May involve periods of distrust, disorder and unhappiness Each family is different from each other

FAMILY CRISIS Unite to face the challenges of a crisis Cumulative effect of other family strengths enable strong families to deal with crisis Able to accept changes from crisis and see possibilities for growth Able to be open to resources available to them Acknowledge their vulnerability Recognizes interdependence within family and community Adaptability essential

FAMILY COHESIVENESS Cohesiveness involves emotional bonding, boundaries, coalitions Sharing time Sharing space Sharing interest Sharing recreation Sharing friends Sharing decision making

FAMILY ADAPTABILITY Leadership Assertiveness Discipline Negotiation Roles Rules

What improvements need to be made in Family Policies? Question: What improvements need to be made in Family Policies? Does honor and dignity to the parental role need to be restored? If so, how?

AMERICAS GREATEST NATIONAL RESOURCE = THE FAMILY Where character is formed Where society is preserved A haven of peace and rest