What have been the happiest memories with your family? Family Forms “The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the heart of my family.” Thomas Jefferson What have been the happiest memories with your family? (At least one.)

Flexibility, adaptability and tolerance for change are helpful skills for making any family form succeed!

Family Relationships What is a relationship? An interaction between two or more people. Who does a family relationship involve? Parents, siblings, peers, spouse, grandparents The family relationship is constantly changing. It is important to remember that an individual is going through various stages of his/her life cycle while the family is going through its own cycle.

What is your definition of the stereotypical family? Working dad Stay-at-home mom 2 or 3 children Called a Nuclear Family Only 10% of all U.S. households are in this family form.

American Family Forms 1. Single People 2. Couples 1 of 24 adults remain single throughout their life. 66% of single people are women. Single individuals may turn to friends to fulfill needs normally met by family. 2. Couples Couple relationship with no children in the home. Time is used developing a close bond, interests and careers. 3. Nuclear Families (“Traditional Family”) Consists of mother, father and their children.

American Family Forms 4. Single-Parent Families One parent and his or her children. Can be very challenging because of all the responsibilities that must be juggled alone. About 1 in 4 children live with only one parent. The number of single-parent homes has more than doubled in the past 20 years Divorced women’s standard of living drops 73%, while divorced men jumps 42%. Working mothers have 15 fewer hours of leisure a week than fathers. Day care for these children can cost up to ¼ the family budget.

American Family Forms 5. Blended Families (“Step-Families”) Consists of a husband and wife, one or both of whom has children from a previous relationship. Blended families can include the children of both spouses as well as new children born to the couple. 6. Extended Families Includes relatives other than parents and children. Grandparents, aunts uncles and cousins are all part of your extended family, whether you live with them or not.

American Family Forms 7. Adoptive Families Adopted children are not biologically linked to their parents. The parents have gone through a legal process to make the children part of the family. Adopted children are protected by all the same rights that a birth child has. 8. Legal Guardians A person financially and legally responsible for the care of a child. Legal guardians are usually relatives or close family friends.

American Family Forms SO MANY COMBINATIONS!!! 9. Foster Families A foster family takes care of children on a temporary basis. Foster children may be waiting for adoption or need a place to live while family problems are solved. Foster parents must be licensed by the state and are screened by social workers. SO MANY COMBINATIONS!!!

Family Life Cycle Stage 1: Beginning Family The married couple establish their home but do not yet have children. Stage 2: Childbearing Family From the birth of the first child until that child is 2 ½ years old. Stage 3: Family with Preschoolers When the oldest child is between the ages of 2 ½ and 6. Stage 4: Family with School Children When the oldest child is between the ages of 6 and 13.

The Family Life Cycle Continued... Stage 5: Family with Teenagers When the oldest child is between the ages of 13 and 19. Stage 6: Launching Center From the time the oldest child leaves the family for independent adult life till the time the last child leaves. Stage 7: Empty Nest From the time the children are gone till the marital couple retires from employment. Stage 8: Aging Family From retirement till the death of the surviving marriage partner.

“In a united family, happiness springs of itself.” Building Strong Families “In a united family, happiness springs of itself.” Chinese Proverb Is your family united? How can you help unite and strengthen your family?

What are the Secrets of a Strong Family?

1. Appreciation Give it Frequently Be Appreciative of “Invisible Work” Behavior is Contagious! Don’t Give Up Too Quickly

2. Affection Small touches, hugs & kisses Use verbal affection often (appreciation, compliments, etc.) Develops bonding Don’t assume they “already know it”

3. Commitment Go with each other when one of you has an activity. Share daily experiences. Show that you are in it for long haul. (You won’t give up on family easily.)

4. Time Together Quality time is better than quantity time. Family Experiences Vacations Camping Daily Experiences Eating together!!!! Chores Doing homework The purpose of the experience is to strengthen the relationship.

5. Creative Problem Solving Strong families can solve problems in creative ways. Happy families have the same number of arguments, but they focus on happy times. It is ok to have problems, but the key is to solve them quickly. The longer you are in an argument, the harder it is to get out. Why?

6. Communication Communication is the key! Be willing to share daily events and experiences often to foster communication. Without communication, the family unit falls apart. Is there a member of your family that you have not talked to for a long time because of a conflict? How does this lack of communication make you feel?

Why are family traditions so important?

Family Crest Assignment

Instructions In your packet, turn to the page with a shield drawn on it. Divide your shield into FOUR equal sections to create your family crest. In each section, draw a picture that represents one idea about your family.

Be Creative and Use Color! Ideas Include: Flags that represent the countries your families came from Pictures of foods that are common to your ethnicity Pictures that represent your first or last name Drawings that depict favorite family events, celebrations or traditions Be Creative and Use Color!