Fatherhood

This week we discussed the importance of fathers and their influence on our lives. In class we talked about "One for the Money" which is a book about finances and how important it is to stay out of financial debt. We should apply steps such as: Pay an honest tithe, learn to manage money, learn self-discipline and self-restraint, use a budget, teach family members the importance of working and earning, teach children to make money decisions, teach each family member to contribute to the total family welfare, make education a continuing process, work toward home ownership, involve yourself in an insurance program, and appropriately involve yourself in food storage. If we incorporate these into our lives, we can receive blessings and avoid financial and relationship problems. My dad has always been a good example of this because he has always taught me the value of working hard and managing money. I'm really grateful for his teachings and support.

Communication

Communication is extremely important when it comes to relationships with others and especially marriages. Challenges that are related to communication problems are misunderstandings, perceptions, and sacrasm. Sarcasm has been found to be one of the most difficult forms of communication. Therefore, we should do our best to avoid it. Also, we should watch for our verbal, non-verbal and tone when we are dealing with situations. Our body language, gestures and facial expressions can potray a lot of messages, some of which are unintentional, but can be perceived as something different. If we do our best to communicate and resolve small problems early on, then it could benefit for later on when problems seem to be more substantial. We need to develop and continually work on skills to better ourselves and our relationships.

Family Crisis

In class this week we talked about stress and coping in families. A crisis is a problem that puts the family system at risk. It's usually unexpected which means we are not as prepared, but we choose whether the crisis will define us or refine us. Instead of approaching a crisis negatively, we should look for ways to learn and grow from it! They are opportunities to strengthen relationships with others. Although everyone has their own experiences, some of us can have the same stressor or crisis, but walk away with completely different attitudes and feelings toward it based on the way we choose to think and feel about the situation. We choose what we take and learn from trials and adversity!

In class this week we talked about sexuality and the importance of being mindful of different thinking between males and females to avoid conflict in relationships and marriages. It was taught that safety, comfort, love, and confidenct are the key to successful sexual intimacy. It is also important to remember that every relationship requires sacrifice from both individuals. Great giving results to great receiving and if we are attentive to one another, then the relationship grows and love increases.

Marriage

Today's trends we find that there are fewer people marrying, more people cohabitating, and that marital trends seem to follow societal trends. We find that a relationship and a marriage requires work from both people. They must both feel comfortable enough to lean on the other. Working together and loving each other truly does bring out the best in the couple:) Although, marriage is fun and totally worth it, is not always easy. It takes effort and dedication to make the family and household run smoothly. Some adjustements couples have to go through are: adapting to living styles, learning effective ways to communicate, personality differences, financial budgets, decision making skills, schedules, handling in-laws, daily discoveries-how to handle and manage the little things, and budgeting time! These take work, but can be overcome! Everyone is different, but when two people are in love and willing to do anything for the other, happiness, acceptance, and true love and joy outweigh everything else!:)

Love

The defintion of love includes four greek terms, Storge(parent/child love), Philia(friendship love), Eros(man & woman love, also where the word erotic comes from), and Agape(love for someone's well being). Love is such a wonderful thing! Not only do we all want love, but we should do what we can to express how much we appreciate and love others. Before we jump into love though, we should follow the stages of dating, courtship, engagement, and then marriage. We should also choose to date rather than just "hang out." As girls, we shouldn't put so much pressure on the boys to do everything. It takes both to put in effort and commitment:) I really enjoyed this topic in class and it made me feel so blessed to have the gospel in my life and to have such an amazing husband, family, and friends!

Gender Roles

In class we learned about the different gender roles men and women have. For example, women are naturally more nurturing, they're more expressive, verbal, emotional, and contain more white matter which is connective tissue in the brain to help memory etc. Men on the other hand, according to A Proclamation to the World states that they are to provide, preside, and protect the family. Men are also naturally more aggressive, they're more likely to supress their feelings, and they contain more gray matter which is more open space in the brain allowing them to be spatially oriented and retain more information. I believe in equality, but that does not mean men and women are or should be the exact same in all aspects. We all have been blessed with our strengths and weaknesses and I think we're supposed to be different to balance each other out. Whether male or female, we all matter and our roles are important!