Parenting

Parenting is a complicated subject that involves a lot of thought, time, and skill. Being a parent isn't easy and there are lots of things one should know about child rearing before having a child. There are many different ways of raising a child, some of which are right, and some of which are wrong. It is important that the mother and father in present in the home so that the child can benefit from both.

The child needs to have a good balance between their mother and their father. It is important that the child is able to feel loved from both parents. Physical touch is important, a child will feel loved when their dad comes home and kisses them on the cheek and holds them in his arms. The mother needs to be nurturing and loving towards her children, and the best way of showing this love is through physical touch.

There are many ways of parenting and I think that parents have to adjust the way they raise each of their children because not one of them is the same. It is important to find balance in a relationship so that the child isn't being deprived of either the mother nor the father. It is important to look back at how your parents raised you and use some of those good strategies and throw out the bad by creating your own.

~Don't Forget to Smile! 

Communication

Communication is key in having a happy and successful relationship. We practice communication more often than we think or may even realize. It is important to understand that one of the main causes of relationships falling apart is due to a lack of communication or miscommunication. If you can practice good communication skills than you should be able to have happier and more successful. A lack of communication is never good because people can misunderstand, people may get offended, and relationships may fall apart.

It is easy for people to misunderstand something you say, so it is very important that you are careful with what you say when you are around your friends or loved ones. More often than not someone may get mad at you for something you said; even though you didn't mean to say it in a way that would offend them. This is why it is important to think before you talk, just to make sure that you are actually conveying what you are meaning.

People tend to get offended too easily. It's understandable, but you need to remember that you choose to be offended. Just because someone does something that you don't like or agree with doesn't always mean that they are offending you on purpose. Don't get angry or offended by someone who honestly didn't intentionally mean to offend you.

It's not worth it for a relationship to fall apart because of a communication problem. Good communication will get you places and help you progress in different aspects of your lives. However, bad communications skills is no good. Work on your communication skills, and try to continue to improve them, because it will benefit not only your life, but the lives of those around you as well. Good communication is key in a healthy, happy, and successful relationship.

~Don't Forget to Smile!  

Stressors Vs. Crisis'

A Crisis and a Stressor are two different things, both of which affect the family, but affect the family in two different ways. One might wonder what the difference is between a Stressor and Crisis. Lets talk about a what a stressor is. A stressor is when something happens to a family or an individual family that causes stress or troublesome thoughts and feelings. It does not necessarily cause the family to change, no family member roles are shifted.

A Crisis is when something happens that dramatically affects the family to where changes in family roles may need to be changed. An example of this is when parent passes away especially while children are still living at home. The other parent is going to have to take on more responsibility, maybe take on a job or even two jobs to provide for the family. The children are going to have to be more self-reliant and possibly take over things at home more. The children would most likely have to take more care of each other rather then relying on their parents to be the nurturers.

You can conclude that a Crisis is more severe because it causes actual affect and change within the family. However, stressors can cause a lot of changes in the family as well; maybe not actual physical changes but maybe changes that might include adjustments in rules, church related topics, and other common stressful situations that everyone has to deal with it. Whether you and your family is going through a Crisis or a Stressor just remember to stay positive and do what's best for the family. The last thing you want is a broken family.

~Don't Forget to Smile!

Keeping a Successful Marriage

In order to keep a happy and successful marriage there needs to be total honesty. You need to be comfortable with your spouse to where you can openly communicate about certain things. Communication is key to having a happy and successful marriage; or any relationship in that matter. We need to be setting aside a certain amount of time each day for our spouse. Once the children come and jobs are established or whatever marriage brings you, you will be busy. It is crucial to be able to set aside time for each other and go out on an actual date at least twice a month.

Making time for your spouse is important because if you don't make time for them then you cannot keep that romantic relationship going. Woman can get used to not having sex after certain periods of time. This can draw a wedge between husband and wife. If you want a happy and successful marriage you need to stay clear of that wedge that draws couples apart. Keep in mind what your spouse wants, and learn to compromise and compassionately communicate one with another. If you do these simple things you can have a happier and more successful marriage.

~Don't Forget to Smile!

Enduring Love

There are many transitions in marriage that couples should really think about and discuss before getting married. Before marrying the person you think you want to marry, you need ask questions about the future and put yourselves in situations where you can really see how the other person would react. You don't want to end up marrying someone who ends up only wanting one child as opposed to wanting four like you do. You need to make sure that you know what they expect out of you in marriage as well as when your raising your family. Does the future husband expect his wife to work and put the children in day care? or does he expect his wife to stay home? Do you expect your future husband to work every day and do everything he can to provide for you, even if that means working two jobs? These are the kinds of questions you should really explore and bring up before marriage and maybe even before engagement.

There are many challenges that a couple is likely to encounter during their first month of marriage. A challenge that comes to mind is having the ability to share things and work as a unit as opposed to an individual. A husband and wife are supposed to work together in all they do; this can be a very tricky transition because we aren't use to having to do everything with another person.

I found a great video about enduring through life and never leaving your spouses side. Marriage isn't about being selfish and self-centered. It is about putting yourself aside and being there every step of the way for the one you love. This video illustrates the importance of love and care for one another in a healthy and successful marriage. If you are not willing to put yourself aside and be there one hundred percent and one hundred percent of the time, then you are not fully committed to that person. Marriage is all about transitions, it is up to us to find that special someone who can endure all those challenges and changes together.

Enduring Love

~Don't Forget to Smile!

Preparing for Marriage

Preparing for marriage is a huge deal. It isn't just something that you can do overnight; no matter what anyone says. Marriage is a huge step in life and it should not, nor is it intended to be taken lightly. In order to prepare yourself for marriage your need to put yourself out there and date! By dating I don't mean group dates, I mean dates that follow the three P rule. Paired off, Paid for, and Planned. We need to remember that we marry who we date, so be sure that you are only dating people that you are actually interested in and could potentially see yourself in the future with.

We need to prepare ourselves personally while dating as well. We need to develop habits and skills that will benefit not only ourselves but our future families and spouses as well. If your are not dating anyone currently, take advantage of that time to work on yourself; work on becoming a better person and work on developing your gifts and talents. Somehow in the right due time, a man or women will come into your life and notice and be attracted to those specific gifts and talents.

Getting married and having a family is extremely important to our Heavenly Father. He wants to send his sons and daughters to parents with healthy marriages and to parents who will raise those children to be strong and righteous people. It is our obligation and duty to raise a strong generation, a generation that can be brave and stand up to the future and things that are to come. This is all starts with a happy and healthy marriage.

~Don't Forget to Smile!

Gender Roles

Gender roles amongst this generation are becoming unclear and it just may very well be causing problems within families. You are either born male or female; there is no in between. Children grow up depending on their parents to teach them male and female roles. Down below there is a YouTube video that talks about how children at a young ages know that women are supposed to be nurturers, and that men are supposed to be protectors, providers, and presiders. They know the difference between man and woman, and they know for themselves whether they are boys or girls. The environment plays a great role in influencing someone to choose to be gay or lesbian; it is clear that you are not born gay or lesbian; it is a choice you make later on after being born.

The second video talks about how we live in a generation of dissolving gender roles in the family. Men are acting as providers and nurturers as well as women acting as providing and nurturers. When this happens children grow up not learning or understanding what their roles are in future families and marriages. Families were intended to be set up so that the father takes care of the family, while the mother stays home and takes care of her children. Heavenly Father blesses parents with his children; children are supposed to be the greatest gift of all, and woman are repaying him by going to work and having strangers raise their children instead. What the point of having kids? That's not fair to the child or Heavenly Father. If you aren't going to take the time to raise your children that you have been blessed with, then take it upon yourself to not have them.

~Don't Forget to Smile!

Gender rolls-Interview with kids
Generation of Dissolving Gender Roles