Family Relations

We are instinctively social beings and we learn largely by observing the behaviors of our role models.  Typically, our parents are the first role models in our lives as they are the first human contact we have at the start of our lives; and they continue to influence our growth and development throughout our lives.  We learn from both parents consciously and unconsciously.  I found that there are more discussions, opinions, and focus on the role of mothers with little information about the role and influence of fathers in bringing up a child.  So, allow me to open this subject and focus this discussion on the role of fathers.  The patterns of interaction between a father (or mother) and the child are the very patterns that will affect all children’s relationship from birth to death, including those with friends, lovers, and spouses.  When a girl grows up, she will probably look for men who have the patterns of good old dad. Therefore, if her father was k...

Nowhere is the impact of popular culture and technology on children’s relationships more noticeable than in families. Both influences have contributed to a growing divide between the traditional roles that children and their parents play while, at the same time, blurring those same lines between parents and children. Over the past two decades, children who, for example, watch television, have received messages from popular culture telling them that parents are selfish, immature, incompetent, and generally clueless, for example, from  Malcolm in the Middle ,  Tool Time ,  Family Guy ,  Two and a Half Men , and  I Hate My Teenage Daughter,  not to mention reality TV shows such as  SuperNanny  and the  Housewives  franchise. This divide has grown due to the increased use of technology among children in several ways. First, children’s absorption in technology, from texting to playing video games, does by their very nature  limit thei...

When we come home from work we expect to be able to relax, unwind and spend time with family, but even family life can sometimes be stressful. Stress isn't limited to one aspect of life. It affects us in many ways and several areas of our lives. Sometimes the most stressful time is the time that we spend with the people we love the most. The most common causes of stress in family life are finances, work, and health. The financial situation is the cause most often cited for stress in family life. When there are money problems, people tend to live in a perpetual state of stress. Work may add to family stress as well. There are plenty of people that feel trapped in dead-end jobs with no opportunity for advancement. They work long hours, make minimum wage and struggle to pay the bills. Another factor that causes stress is the lack of job security. Children are another source of stress. Parents try to protect them from the harsh realities of the world but at times the obstacles can...

Having a partner who is faithful is an entitlement of marriage . Fidelity on its own won’t necessarily guarantee a marriage will remain intact, but infidelity can surely end one. In fact, it’s one of the greatest threats to marital stability. Nothing breaks down trust and commitment more, and there’s no violation harder to overcome, than cheating. We should consider fidelity as one of the cornerstones of marriage, as essential as emotional support, trust, and commitment. The taboo against cheating is so strong that even those who have done it still regard it as wrong. While their beliefs are inconsistent with their actions, they get around that with some rationalizing. In principle, they agree infidelity is unacceptable, but they can excuse their own as a special case. It’s because of flaws in their marriage or in their own personalities. They also believe that taken on a case by case basis, others who have cheated probably also had good reasons, so at least they’re not hypocriti...