Family Relations

     Have you ever struggled when it's time to make a big decision? Especially when that decision impacts more than just yourself? I'm not talking about what to make for dinner, although to some that may seem like an outstanding obstacle. In fact, I am talking about decision making that includes others. What is it that makes it so difficult? I think more often than not, we can chalk it up to communication, or lack there of. This week we learned about forms of communication, the advantages and challenges that come with each one, as well as ways to effectively communicate. Brother Williams shared with us, "5 Secrets of Effective Communication" that I am excited to share on this post, along with other insights and guidance!     I don't know about you, but from my personal experience, those who have struggles in their relationships, whatever they may be. usually all relate it back to poor communication or no communication at all. Why is that? Well, from what I have ...

    Every family experiences stress, it is inevitable! But have you ever experienced a family CRISIS? What is the difference you might ask? Or perhaps it is actually obvious to you. This week we did some exploring into identifying what the stresses of normal family life are while analyzing our own families and the stresses we encounter there. We also made sure to recognize the processes in which we responded to these stressors. These processes can turn a stressful event into a crisis or simply a challenge, which leads me back to what I was saying before. If we don't find methods to cope with stress, it inadvertently becomes a crisis in our lives and especially in our homes. Every family has experienced or will experience a crisis or two (or three or four), this is normal and common. However, my goal today is to share methods in which we can cope with the stressors in our lives and homes.       People react in different ways, and we can expect that. We ...

    This week in class we had quite the discussion! The learning objective this week was to "i ncrease understanding of sexuality, its influence upon the family structure, and proper responses to the challenges and opportunities it provides."      I thought it was interesting to learn about fundamental differences in men and women with their arousal and response cycles; and although that was a large component of what we discussed, I was most interested in how men and women view sexuality and the kind of impact their differences can have on a marriage and family.     More often than not, men use intercourse and sexual conduct to feel close to their spouse. Women however, first need to feel close than engage in sexual activity, even intercourse. These general differences can cause rifts in relationships if not properly understood. We were able to break out into groups to discuss what other differences we see and how that can effect the relationship. Som...