Divorce

This week in class we talked about divorce. We learned that there are different processes of divorce. The processes are: emotional, legal, economic, co-parental, community and psychic. There are many predictors that lead to divorce. These are:one options, haven't seen a healthy marriage, follow destructive pattern, recreate patterns and cohabitation. The way to protect against divorce is to date. Within two years most people who have divorced say that they wish they would have worked through it and saved their marriage. Most people think that their second marriage will be better but in reality they are never as good. The rate of divorce goes up with the second and then so on. Divorce tears the family a part and the children always feel torn.

Parenting Roles

This week in class we talked about the different roles that parents have as they raise their children. Parents have the responsibility to teach their children values and traditions. They need to teach the kids about God and how to develop Godly qualities. Parents provide emotional and physical protection.All of these things are important for a child to have when growing up. I am thankful that my parents taught me the correct principles and that they lead me in the right direction. I am so excited to have children of my own so my husband and I can teach them about Christ and show them how wonderful life is when he is a part of your life. Parents have a huge role to fill, but it is such a rewarding one.

Parents working..

This week in class we talked a lot about how the family is when both parents are working. Some families need both parents to work in order to make ends meet, but whenever it is possible the mother should be at home with the children. When the mother isn't there a lot of bonding time is cut out. After school when the kids come home if the mother isn't there to help them with their homework and just even talk to them about how their school day has gone, the kids end up turning to other things, which are not always the best. I feel it important for me as a mother to do everything i can in order to be there for my children. I want to be the mom that picks the kids up from school and talks to them about their day.  I cherish that relationship with my mom and i want my kids to be able to have the same relationship with me.

Communication

This week in class we talked a lot about communication.  Everyone interprets things different so it is important to not beat around the bush but rather just come straight out and say what you mean. I know from personal experience that it just causes a lot of unnecessary problems when people beat around the bush. I know that in my marriage it is really important to be clear in what we are saying to each other. My husband and I like it better when we are to the point instead of hinting things at each other. I know that by us having open lines of communication we are so much happier. It is a priority to me when raising a family that those lines are always open.

Crisis In Family

This week in class we talked about different crisis that happen within families. There are many things can can happen to a family and they can either bring the family closer together or they can rip them a part. Every family has some kind of crisis whether small or big. Every family has a choice to make of whether they will make the best out of situations or not. I know that in my family we always try to make the best out every situation. My husband and I try our very best to make the best out of everything and we are a lot happier because we do. Life is so much better when you make lemonade out of life's lemons.

Realtions in Marriage

This week in class we talked a lot about relations within marriage. We talked about how having relations can actually bring you and your spouse closer together. We talked about how talking about what happens during sex can actually bring the couple back together. Couples have said that they have to learn what their partner likes and therefore they are learning to love them in a new way. They have to learn to be unselfish and give their spouse what they want. Sex can be selfish or it can be unselfish depending on the attitude each person has. I think it is important to remember that having relations with your spouse is a wonderful thing and it makes the two of you closer. It can be a beautiful thing as long as it is done with the right attitude.

Marriage cont...

This week we continued to talk about marriage. We talked about difficulties that can happen within a marriage and how a lot of times they can lead to divorce. I feel like a lot of problems can be avoided if you and your spouse communicate well. All of the problems that were brought up were are caused by a lack communication. In my class there were a lot of kids who said that the time to talk about how many kids you want and where you want to live are all things that you talk about after you are married. I disagree. I think that things like that should be talked about long before you are married. I think it is important to know what the other persons views are before you get married. Then when you are married it is very important to communicate. I am very blessed to have a wonderful husband who will communicate with me, even over some of the silliest things.

Marriage

This week we talked about marriage. We talked about the stages that lead up to marriage. Those stages are dating, courtship,engagement and then marriage. We talked about how in the world today those stages don't exist, marriage barley happens anymore. Cohabitation is what is taking the place of marriage now a days. People are saying that cohabitation is a lot better than marriage because it is easier. There isn't the same amount of commitment. People who think like this are confused. Marriage is a wonderful thing. It is worth everything! If only people would realize how great marriage really is.

Gender Roles

This week in class we talked about gender roles and the importance of them in the family. I learned that the different genders have different experiences that influence the family and the families structure. We talked a lot about the different female tendencies and male tendencies and how they are different. There was a quote read in class saying that we should raise our boys more like girls but i do not agree with that. I feel that we should teach our children the same morals but not that we should teach our boys to act like girls. I want my boys to act like boys and my girls to act like girls. Another thing that got said was that some people think that people are born gay. In class we talked about how people have actually proved that people are not born gay. It has to do with if the kids get enough intimacy. If a Dad doesn't want anything to do with his little boy, that boy will be more likely to want that attention from a man later on in life and therefore think that they want to be gay. It was interesting to see how things can be brought back to the family. I know that it will be important to be there for my children and to love them and show them the right way.

Life..

This post isn't for my class but  just because i want to...
As a softball player every time I got up to bat I always had the idea of what i wanted to do and how i was going to do it. I would have the perfect pitch and then a perfect hit that would give me a homerun. Every softball players dreams that every time they stepped up to bat that this would happen, but we never really take into account a curve ball. The same thing with life. We all have an idea of how our lives will be. We have everything planned and ready to go. Everything seems to be going great in the game when we step up to bat but then a curve ball is thrown. We know that we can still hit the ball, but we wont get a homerun off of it and we will have to be a little slower going around the bases. Something in life happens and it changes how fast we can accomplish the things we want to. We know that we can accomplish them, but it is going to take more time. There's always a chance that you will be thrown out at one of the bases and it scares you. In life there are always the times when you think you'll mess up and your not ready and that there is no way to make it through. In softball you turn to the coach to tell you what to do and you put your trust in him to make it so you will get home safely. In life you turn to the Lord and put your complete trust in him that you will be able to do what he is telling you to do. It is scary because you can't see the end results yet but you know that they will be the best results you could ever hope for. Even though it was a curve ball you know that there is always a chance to make it home when you swing instead of standing and striking out. In life that curve ball comes and it is always better to act in faith then not to act at all. Life may be harder for a little while but it will be worth it. It can be hard to put yourself out there off the bag but if you don't you cant make it to second. If we don't put our faith out there to be tested how will it grow? It can be scary but I know that we can do it, even through all the pickles. The Lord will help us get through the scary times in life. I know that I can trust the Lord and that it is always better to trust in his will then your own. His is so much better, even if we cant see it at the time, it is! I know that by putting my faith in the Lord know, I will be blessed.

Don't Judge

This week in class we talked about the different types of cultures and the diversity within them. We all know of another culture or race and because we know of it we want to assume we know everything about that culture and how it is to be in those peoples shoes. But, what do we really know about that culture?  People always have assumptions about your culture and when those assumptions are wrong we always want to stand up and correct them. For example, in high school kids thought they new everything about Mormons and how we do all of these weird things, like eat babies. Me being a Mormon would always correct the things that i heard and try to give them a little better understanding of Mormons. The same with our cultures. Everyone to some extent thinks they know about another culture and how it is to be from that culture, but in reality they know very little. I have learned that some people really take offense to peoples assumptions about them. They can really cut deep. Everyone always judges others because they are a certain race, but why? We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord. We should all just take a step back before we blurt out what we think about other cultures and even people of the same culture as us because there is always more then what meets the eye.

Strong Families

 This one is going to be a little short because class was only twice this week!!! We talked a lot about the dynamics of the family. We talked about how the parents should be equal and then both of them should have a good relationship with each of their children. I know that this is very important when it comes to having a strong family. I want my husband and I to have a strong relationship with each other but also with each other our kids. I want them to be able to come to either one of us with anything that is going on in their life. From my experience with my own family i know that having a good relationship with both of my parents really helped me. I loved being able to go to either one of my parents about anything. It was a real blessing in my life and I want my children to feel the same about my husband and I.

Trends in the World

This week in class we talked a lot about the trends in the world. One of the biggest ones that stuck out to me was that there is a decrease in the amount of children being born. Some people believe that this is a cause of the economic problems we are facing today, but that is a whole different subject. After learning about the rates of children decreasing and after reading some quotes from the apostles, I have had a testimony builder about how important it is to have children and raise them up in righteousness.

President Brigham Young said  “There are multitudes of pure and holy spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty?—To prepare tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the families of the wicked, where they will be trained in wickedness, debauchery, and every species of crime. It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can.” 

I know that it is very important for me to bring as many children into this world as I can.  And to raise those children in righteousness. I am so excited for the when the time comes that my husband and I are supposed to have a child.

Starting Out!

I have never really been into having my own Blog but my Family Relations class this semester is making it mandatory. I am suppose to record things on here that have to do with what we are learning in class and hopefully get responses from different people who view it. I am going to give it a try and see how I like it and if it is enjoyable for me I'll continue. I am kind of excited about this semester and all of my different classes, so you might be hearing about more then just my family relations class! Well that's all for this time!