“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.)

Millions of Kids

Children living in blended families, including either a step-parent or step-sibling.

Children living with both natural parents and full brothers or sisters.

Children living in extended families including other people such as uncles, cousins, aunts or grandparents.

Children living in one-parent families.

8 million

10 million

15 million

33 million

Family Type Number of Children

Worldwide Statistics

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

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.

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

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.

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.

American Family Forms

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.”

Chinese Proverb

Is your family united? How can you help unite and strengthen your family?

What are

the Secrets

of a Strong Family?

Give it Frequently

Be Appreciative of “Invisible Work”

Behavior is Contagious!

Don’t Give Up Too Quickly

Small touches, hugs & kisses

Use verbal affection often

(appreciation, compliments,

etc.)

Develops bonding

Don’t assume they “already

know it”

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.)

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.

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?

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?

Family Traditions

Why are family traditions

so important?