Prepare to Prevent

Having children can hurt a the relationship of the husband and wife, if they do not prepare. I didn't realize that this can happen to any couple. Which means, it could happen to me. But, thanks to this class, I am going to make sure it doesn't! It is easy to neglect each other and even get after each other when the first baby comes due to stress, fatigue, misunderstandings, lack of affection being expressed, ect. But this can be prevented!!! It's important to have the dad involved at the start of the pregnancy and throughout. Also, if couples are aware of what can happen after the baby comes they can plan for it. They can create a baby plan and have helpers come, like a mom. Being prepared is what is most important.

Be A Part of Their Lives

We talked a lot about homosexuality this week. I learned a lot about research on this issue. From everything we talked about it is very important to protect my children. As a parent I need to make sure I know where my children are and what they are doing. I also need to make sure that as a mother, my husband and I need to express unconditional love to each child. Love will help shape our child into great people. We also need to teach the importance of sexuality and the sacredness of our gender and who we are. We also need to talk about how the media portrays things so that they know what is right and what is wrong and can come to us when they have any questions or confusions about things.

Labeling and Creating

A childs mind, when little, is developing more than ever. These are crucial times in for them as their brain is developing and they are learning more about their surroundings and themselves. From class this week I realized how quickly a child can be primed during thi stage of development. This priming can be a very good thing, but it can also be a very bad thing. I want to talk about the bad side of this stage of development. While a child is growing, if he is referred to in a negtive way through name calling,  teasing, ect he is going to think that he is those things. All children grow up differently. Some grow faster and some slower. Others tend to be more sensitive as they develop and others not so much. Not matter the difference they are each a special, child of God. And we must be careful with how wer treat each child, even if they seem to be a little different than us. A child needs to know they are loved and accepted. If not, studies have proven that children to grow up to believe what everyone has been telling them about themselve. For example, research has shown that little children who are labeld as being gay most often will grow up to think that that is what they are. Which is not the case. It is amazing how one diminishing word echoed by any and placed upon one person can dictate who that child will be for the rest of their life. Let us all remember the impact we have on others and especially on our children that we can be the example that stops this labeling and creating of certain people.

A Family Provides

Just a few things a family provides:
structure and stability
ability to socialize and be comfortable doing so
establishes expectations, hopes, goals
offers love and support, nurture and protection
imparts or influences values
financial support

Each of these are very important. One that I really care about has to do with creating structure and stability. Often parents think that if they give their children structure in the home, they will hate their childhood. like structure is condemning them. This is not true. Research has shown that children who do not have structure in the home desire it and children who do have it in the home thrive. It is important for a child to know when dinner time is, bed time is, family time is. They do not have adult brains. They cannot create, very well, structure for themselves, especially when they should be learning it and not creating it themselves.