Family can be interpreted in many ways. Some families only have one parent living with them, others have both. There are people who live in a homosexual home and a heterosexual home. There are a variety of families today- from different skin colors to ethnicity and living arrangements. I believe the family is the foundation of your home. You need to gain each others trust, love and support to strengthen relationships within the family. Henry B Eyring said, "Our most important and powerful assignments are in the family. They are important because the family has the opportunity at the start of a child’s life to put feet firmly on the path home.” Family is vital, don't take it for granted. Take time from your busy day and spend time with your family. Life will pass you by before you know it, and then you will be wishing you would have had more family time. 

This week in class we learned about the 4 different theories: Symbolic Interaction Theory, Conflict theory, Exchange theory, and Systems theory. In Symbolic Interaction theory I learned you need to be careful of your behavior and how you communicate something. It happens all too often we misread certain signs. Brother Williams gave an example of how he was telling his wife something important and she rolled her eyes, he was very hurt by the gesture and come to find out, when she gets sad she looks up to stop the tears. It was a simple misunderstanding and something we need to beware of. If you aren't sure about a situation, instead of assuming right off the back, talk to your partner to make sure he/she didn't mean it in a negative way. Another great lesson I got from class this week is to always show your love to your partner...especially in front of your kids. Your children need that reassurance and loving atmosphere in the home. Kids can pick up on behaviors quick and easy-and if you aren't caring for your spouse, the child can grow up thinking that it's okay to be distant from your partner, or degrade them. Loving parents=a happy home. I have seen it first hand in my own home. I KNOW that if your parents don't show love and fight, the home will start to fall apart. You need to have that warmth in your home to make it a happy home. :)

This past week in class we talked a lot about research. I learned useful techniques that will help me in this class and many others in the future. We also spent the majority of the class talking about different trends. It seems as though people aren't looking at the family as a necessity anymore. Divorce rates are increasing, more people are cohabiting, and the household size is decreasing. I always wonder why people think cohabiting is the best solution-once the couple get into an argument it is much easier to walk away instead of trying to work it out. That goes along with married people as well though. With the increase of divorce rates you know something must be wrong. Communication if vital in a relationship and without it, your relationship will fail. Work with each other in time of need, there is always going to be arguments...just don't let it get the best of you. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have about the family. To me, family is the most important element of life.