POST 12:

This past week in family relations class we had talked about divorce and various aspects of re-marriage and blended families With divorce and blending of families there can often be great stress, tension, sadness, as well as great joy and appreciation. One of the key things that we discussed in class was that of having the parent relationship to a child that is not their own to be like that of a fantastic uncle or aunt. This is to keep the proper boundaries between the child and parent and reduce the conflicts that may be ensued. 

Another aspect of blended families that we discussed was that of having the birth parent do most of the heavier discipline. So that again this reduces the amount of tension inside the home and developes the proper boundaries between parent and child. 

Also as a good note to go by for blended families, the expected sense of normalcy within the family will more likely come around two years after the family is blended. This is due to just the amount of time for not only the proper marital relationships to form between the parents but also for the proper adjustments to take place between child and parent relationships. 

From my own experience, I, come from a blended family of sorts. My mother had a child before I was born with a previous marriage and years later married my father, whom she has had 4 more children with including myself. Although I was not yet born when the blending occurred, I know that my parents had a rather typical blend which has become very successful. I believe that this success in large in part due to my father's ability to accept and be the best, loving father as possible, as well as my parents ability to be flexible and work together. The result of this marriage has been a large blessing in the lives of all of my family members, and is successful because of the love and wisdom of my parents.

POST: 11 

This past week in family relations class something that stood out to me that we talked about when talking about parenting was the fact that people literally need contact and belonging. It was that if a baby has not had enough physical contact from their parents or whomever than when they grow up it will have effects on how they communicate and function with others. It is also important to making sure that this attention is offered freely and lovingly, whether it be through a hug, smile, or by touch. Often when people have lacked this type of touch and contact in their life they act in such a way that it demands it, yet often times not in a positive way. The best way to deal with this situation is to recognize the need then meet the need. But, it is also very important to teach them how to meet that need for themselves. It is also good to create opportunites for them to contribute and feel like they are apart of a group. By allowing people to help and giving them responsibilities it makes them feel like they belong and further teaches them how to act and behave but also how to fulfill their own needs.Overall, I've learned that the actual contact with others and sense of belonging of a person and child is absolutely necessary for them to grow socially and in health.