Posts

Divorce and Remarriage

Image
            Divorce is being a more and more common and accepted practice. However, the process and event of divorce can cause a lot of strain and stress on the family, and parents can often question, ‘is this really what is best for me and my family?’. Getting divorced is a decision that should not be taken lightly. It is important to understand the affects and reasons behind divorce in order to properly make those decisions.             One of the biggest differences in divorce today is that it is a lot less public and consequently embarrassing. If you wanted to divorce your spouse, you would have to go in front of a court and explain to them why you are trying for divorce. The reasons given fell under the 4 A’s: Abandonment, Addiction, Abuse, Adultery. Without one of these things, approval of the divorce usually was not granted. Today, couples may get divorces for many different reasons, they do not typically need to appear in front of court, and it is generally less expensive. Di
Post a Comment
Read more

Parenting

Image
One of the most significant and scariest events in a couple’s live could be the process of becoming parents. As a young parent, there can be a lot of nerves, fear, and uncertainty. Now, as a 19-year-old college student, I have no experience being a parent. But I have found some helpful tips and ideas to follow that can ensure that communication between you and your child is clear, and bonds can remain strong, healthy, and trustful.               The first important thing to evaluate as a new parent or someone who plans on/is about to be a parent is the following question: What is my purpose as a parent? The answer to this question can be different for everyone, but here are a few good examples, to provide a safe environment to positively impact my child’s development as well as their growth and learning; to protect and prepare my children to survive and thrive in the world in which they may live. This last example is one thought up by Michael Popkin, the founder and president of Acti
Post a Comment
Read more

Fatherhood

Image
This week, I will be doing something a little different. As this is Thanksgiving week, I only had one class, and consequently did not cover much about fatherhood. In order to overcome this, I have found an article that I will discuss and review as well as compare with my own experiences with my dad.  The article that I read is titled ‘Fatherhood in Complex Families: Ties between Adult Children, Biological Fathers, and Stepfathers’ by Maaike Hornstra, Matthijs Kalmjin, and Katya Ivanova, written in October of 2020. The article explores three aspects that are vital to a strong and long-lasting relationship between father and child. The first of these  is investment. Investment means how much time, effort, and resources the father puts into the child. It is as simple as this: if a father does not spend meaningful time with their children, it is less likely that a strong relationship will grow.            The second aspect that is explored is interdependence. Interdependence is the amo
Post a Comment
Read more

Solving Familial Problems

Image
         Last week, I focused on the topic of stressors in the life of a family. As I explained, there are many different changes and experiences that can cause stress and contention in the family. Dealing with and overcoming stress is a completely different process than solving the problem. One is dealing with the problem while experiencing it, but the other is getting rid of the problem entirely. Either process can be very difficult, and can put a lot of strain on the family.                Overall, it can be agreed that one of the key steps to solving problems in the family is communication. Communication between the parents, the parents and the kids, the kids amongst each other, and even possible communication with people outside of the family. Communication allows for more access to support and less possibility for confusion, unhappiness, or contention in the family. When a family is going through a difficult time, it is important to establish strong communication with the membe
Post a Comment
Read more

Stressors in the Family

Image
          Every family experiences their own unique stressor events and difficult times. Some common ones can be financial stress, conflict between family members, stress between the community and the family, job stress, educational stress, and many others. Through the times where we experience stress, it is important to remember that these stressor events will not last forever (although at the time, we feel like they will), and we can overcome them, sometimes with needed help and support. Stress can actually be healthy; it encourages us to act, grow, and strive to be better. But if we forget that stressors change and fade, we can easily be overwhelmed by the stressors and anxiety that we feel.  The bond between family members is something that can help the family through stress. If the children feel that they cannot rely on their parents, it is easy for them to become overwhelmed, and if the parents feel that they cannot rely on each other, the same thing happens. Stress is very diffi
Post a Comment
Read more

Chastity in the Family

Image
    One aspect of Marriage that has widely contrasting opinions is the concept of sexual intimacy. Of course, as a 19-year-old college student, I have no experiences of sexual intimacy for myself. But I will be sharing my thoughts and opinions on the matter. It is known that if a married couple have desire to have children, they have to have a strong bond, and act in sexual intimacy. This is a large step in marriage, and thus needs to be treated with respect and sacredness. The ability to have children is a miracle that we are able to have. Because of the sacredness and impact the act of sex has, it is vital for couples to refrain from the act outside of marriage.              This concept is not widely accepted in our current world. The act of sex is more often used as a means to find pleasure and physical intimacy. This is a very harmful mindset, as the consequences of sexual intimacy for the purpose of pleasure creates a casual relationship between the two persons. A casual relat
Post a Comment
Read more

Adjustments in Marriage

Image
Marriage is one of the biggest events that you may experience in your life. With such a big event, comes a lot of possible changes and necessary adjustments. Marriage life is completely different to the lives that those who are unmarried experience. It can be difficult and take a lot of  patience and compromise with your spouse.  One of the biggest adjustments a couple may need to make is finances. Each partner may have different ways of saving, spending, and overall budgeting. Not only do new couples need to find a compromise between them in these things, but there is also the possibility of high expenses. New couples need to worry about buying a home or apartment, furniture, a car, groceries, and many other expenses. Not only do they need to figure out the future finances and expenses, but the process of marriage is expensive. The ceremony, marriage license, and reception can cost an exceptional amount of money. How the couple handles this is completely up to them.  Living together i
Post a Comment
Read more