Understanding Families

1
Understanding Families

• Objectives
• Explain the importance of the family
• Identify various types of families
• Identify stages in the family life cycle
• Social Trends that influence families

2
The Importance of Families

• A family is a group of two or more people who
  care about each other and are committed to each
  other.
• Why does family seem to matter so much?
• A family is every childs first connection to
  the world. As a child gets older, a family should
  provide a safe environment from which to
  explore-and to which he or she can return.
• The family provides an important sense of
  belonging for every member.

3
Types of Families

• Family groups take many different forms and vary
  in size and structure. A family may include a
  single parent and several children, or two
  parents and one child, or two married or
  committed with no children.etc.
• In spite of these many variations, there are
  four main kinds of family groups
• - nuclear family
• - extended family
• - single-parent family
• - blended family

4
The Nuclear Family

• Is a family with two generations a father
  and mother and at least one child sharing the
  same household.
• the families may differ depending on how many
  children there are, whether parents work outside
  the home, and other characteristics.
• A nuclear family can include
• - biological children
• - adopted children
• - foster children

5
Single-Parent Family

• Is a family group that includes either a mother
  or a father and at least one child.
• The parent may be father or mother.
• That parent may be raising children alone
  because
• He or she never married
• He or she was left alone after a divorce or
  death.

Single parenting puts many demands on the parent.
He or she has a great deal of responsibility,
little free time, and no spouse with home to
share problems. Many single parents find support
in a network of friends and relatives. Some
communities have organizations for single
parents, which provide emotional support and
social opportunities.
Example YMCA
6
Custodial Parent

• In the case of divorce, many children make
  scheduled visits to the parent who doesnt live
  with them. These visits give the custodial
  parent, the one with whom the child resides, a
  necessary break from the challenges of single
  parenthood and preserves the relationship between
  the other parent and child.

7
The Blended Family

• Is a family group formed when a single parent
  marries another person, who may or may not have
  children.
• Step-parents
• Step-children
• Step-brothers/ step-sisters
• In the first few months or years, the members
  of a blended family may experience challenges
• Learning to live with each other
• Accommodations and compromises
• Stepparenting adjustments
• And more.

8
Extended Family

• Is a family group that includes a parent or
  parents, at least one child, and relatives other
  than a parent or child who live with them.
• Examples
• A woman raisers her two grandsons.
• An elderly man lives with his daughter, his
  son-in law and his granddaughter.
• The term extended family also refers to
  additional relatives outside the family.

9
Joining a Family

• A child can join a family in many ways.
• Biologically
• legal process
• Adoption
• Foster
• A legal guardian is a person who is designated by
  a legal process to assume responsibility for
  raising the child.

10
Adoption

• Is the legal process in which people obtain the
  permanent right to raise a child who is not
  biologically their own.
• In the past, children were always matched as
  closely as possible to their adoptive parents,
  with special consideration given to their race,
  ethnic and religious background, and physical
  characteristics.
• Now, the emphasis of adoption is on finding good
  homes for children who need them. Matching the
  characteristics is no longer considered
  especially important.

11
Foster Child

• A child whose parents or other close family
  members are unable to care for him or her. Foster
  parents assume temporary legal responsibility for
  the child.

12
The Family Life Cycle

• Each family goes through the family life
  cycle a series of stages in a predictable
  order.
• The timing and duration of these stages may vary
  widely from family to family.

13
Family Life Cycle

• Beginning Stage a couple works to establish a
  home and relationship.
• Childbearing Stage the couple prepares and
  adjusts to parenthood.
• Child-rearing Stage as children grow, the
  parents work to meet their
  childrens changing needs and help them
  develop independence.
• Launching Stage Children gradually leave home to
  support themselves. Parents help their
  children adapt to life on their own.
• Empty-nest Stage After the last child has left
  home, the couple renews their
  relationship and adjusts to the change in their
  parenting role.
• Retirement Stage The couple adjusts to the aging
  process. They may develop new interests or
  renew old ones.

14
Variations in the Family Life Cycle

• Any of the following situations may change
  the pattern of the family life cycle or the
  characteristics of each stage
• Single adulthood
• Single parenthood
• Divorce
• Remarriage
• Couples without children
• Adult children who move back with parents.

15
Trends Affecting Families

• All families are affected by trends in the
  society around them.
• Mobility
• Many adults move away from the community where
  they were raised. Families may lack close,
  supportive connections with extended family.
• Families must rely on themselves, neighbours, and
  close friends for support and assistance.
• Aging Population
• People are living longer then they used to.
  People find themselves caring not only for
  children, but also helping and caring for aging
  parents. This can create stress as well as
  opportunities for intergenerational interaction
  between young and old.
• Fluctuations in Economy
• Families struggle to make ends meet. Finances are
  often the primary reason why both parents in a
  nuclear family are employed. The pressure of
  finances have led to families having less
  children/smaller families.
• Workplace changes
• There is a constant shift in the amount of jobs
  available at any given time. In such a changing
  work environment, there is the demand to
  continuously learn new skills.
• Impact of technology
• Can make life easier, and make life more
  difficult.
• Cell phones, internet are two technologies that
  are leading to less communication and time for
  each other.

16
Review

• There are four types of families
• nuclear family
• extended family
• single-parent family
• blended family
• There are four different ways to become a parent
• Biologically
• Adoption
• Foster
• Through marriage

17
Review

• Each family goes through the family-life cycle.
  The time and duration of each stage will vary
  family to family.
• There are several societal trends that affect
  families
• Mobility
• Aging population
• Economy changes
• Workplace changes
• Technology advancements

18
Your Task

• Complete Assessment 1d Ways of Becoming a Parent
• Use these notes to help you complete this
  assessment.
• Due Monday, September 27th at the beginning of
  class.