WEEK 10: DYNAMICS & CHARACTERISTICS OF FAMILY 2. Wholeness: the system is greater than sum of the parts.

Family Dynamics 3. Each part of the system affects all others.

• patterns of relating, or interactions, between family 4.Interrelations emphasized more than components;
members. systemwide ripples ("these cause
• ways that family members interact with one another
each other") emphasized more than linearity (this causes that).
• influenced by culture, traditions, family history, learned
skills, emotions, and the roles and hierarchy within a 5.Circular (mutual, reciprocal) causality: emphasizes present,
family. process. Linear causality:
Influences Family Dynamics emphasizes past, content.
1. nature of the parents' relationship 6. Calibration: setting of a present-oriented, system wide range
2. having a particularly soft or strict parent limit around a comfortable emotional "bias.“
3. number of children in the family
7. Self-regulating via feedback loops--negative (toward stability)
4. personalities of family members
and positive (toward change)--that maintain the bias.
5. an absent parent
6. the 'mix' of members who are living in the same 8. Synergy: interactions and feedback loops add to each other
household as they combine (a dynamic expression of wholeness).
7. level and type of influence from extended family or
others 9.Equipotentiality ("equal in the beginning"): things with the
same original conditions can go different ways; members of the
Healthy family dynamics same family system can share a very similar upbringing but turn
out to be very unlike each other.
• view their positive qualities and recognize that they
may help support your family's functioning. 10.Equifinality (equal in the end): things with different original
1. Honest, open communication conditions can turn out the same.
2. Supportiveness
11. Living systems and all they bring with them--equipotentiality,
3. Safety and security
equifinality, wholeness, feedback loops, and all the other
4. Love and caring
system-enhancing processes—move forward through key
5. Valuing and respecting
"horizontal" (brought about by time and change) transitional
6. Addressing conflict
stages. Symptoms occur when vertical stressors (old issues,
Toxic Family Dynamic past mistakes, emotional

• destructive and harmful, which can significantly affect legacies) impinge on the system during a transition.
family members' mental health.
12. First-order changes are those that help the system stay at
its current level of functioning. Second-order changes
1. Parentification- role reversal where the parent chooses
restructure the system to bring it to a different level.
not to or is unable to take
on household responsibilities. The child
takes on the role of an adult in the relationship.
2. Family Violence- “abuse of power” WEEK 11-12: FAMILY COMMUNICATION & INTERACTION
3. Triangulation- “form of manipulation” PATTERNS
4. Rivalry- competitiveness born from jealousy
• It helps maintained healthy relationships among
Competitiveness born from jealousy members of the family.
• helps us avoid conflict and maintain good relations.
1. Division of labour • enables members to express their needs, wants, and
2. Discipline vs. punishment concerns to each other.
3. Listening to understand
• to preserve and strengthen family relationships,
4. Establish healthy boundaries
whenever possible.
5. Supporting honest expression of feelings
6. The importance of independence Different Patterns of Family Interactions
7. Letting go and severing ties when necessary
8. Divorce 1. Parent-infant Interactions
9. Self-preservation
Symmetrical: Symmetrical interaction occurs when
both parent and infant are actively engaged with one
12 Characteristics of Family System another or in joint focus of attention.
Craig Chalquist (2013). A Paradigm Shift from Lines to Circles
Asymmetrical: Asymmetrical interaction occurs when
1. Organized around interactions and within a hierarchy of the parent is attempting to
interrelated subsystems. engage the infant but the infant is passively attending
to the parent actions.
 4. LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP
Unilateral: Unilateral communication occurs when the • This is when two people are in a relationship, but
parent tries to engage the infant, who is not attending they live far away from each other.
or responding to the adult.
5. DOMINANT AND SUBMISSIVE RELATIONSHIP
Passive unilateral: Passive unilateral communication
• If someone is in a dominant and submissive
occurs when the infant is not attending to the parent
relationship, then that means that they are either
and the parent is attentive but does not talk to or
dominant or submissive in the bedroom. Some
attempt to engage the infant in an activity.
people even switch between the two roles of
dominant and submissive.
2. Parent-Preschool Interactions
6. CO-DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP
• most children gradually become more
sensitive to the sounds of spoken words and • A co-dependent relationship is one where the two
become increasingly capable of producing all people in it are always attached at the hip. They are
the sounds of their language. rarely seen without each other and it feels like they
do everything together.
3. Parent & School Age Interactions
• School-age kids alternatively feel dependent, 7. CASUAL RELATIONSHIP
resistant or even rebellious toward their • A casual relationship is usually one where the
parents. relationship is relatively new. You and this other
• Make positive communication with your person have been seeing each other, but you have
school age child not necessarily defined the relationship.
• Praise and reward
• Energy allocation 8. FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

4. Parent-Adolescent Interactions • A friends with benefits situation is not exactly a

• child in turn,may demonstrate a willingness to relationship. It is a relationship in which two people
listen in other interpersonal situations agree to be intimate but with no strings attached.
(Pennington, 2003). 9. ENGAGEMENT

• An engagement is an arrangement that happens

WEEK 13-14: MAKING AND SUSTAINING HEALTHY
when two people who are in a relationship decide to
RELATIONSHIP
marry each other.
• Healthy Relationships provide a safe space 10. TOXIC RELATIONSHIP
for expressing feelings and facing challenges
together, reducing stress and loneliness. • A toxic relationship is not the kind of relationship that
you want to be in. This is a relationship that is
Types of Relationships:
unhealthy.
1. MONOGAMOUS
HOW TO MAKE MARRIAGE WORK?
• It is a relationship in which two people have
decided to be exclusive and are only with 1. Building a strong foundation
each other. 2. Effective communication
2. OPEN RELATIONSHIP 3. Conflict resolution
• An open relationship means that the 4. Nurturing love and intimacy
relationship is not limited to just the two 5. Balancing roles and responsibilities
people. 6. Facing challenges together
• The people who are in an open relationship
are open to dating other people as well.
3. POLYAMOROUS
THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGE
• In a polyamorous relationship, the number of
people is more than two. • love language is the way a person expresses and
CONSENSUAL NON-MONOGAMY receives love most meaningfully.
• Open relationships allow sexual encounters 1. Words of affirmation
outside the primary relationship without the 2. Quality time
development of full romantic partnerships. 3. Receiving gifts
• Polyamory involves engaging in multiple 4. Acts of service
loving relationships with the consent and 5. Physical touch
knowledge
of everyone involved.
WEEK 15: PARENTING STYLE & CHILD REARING • Communication is frequent and appropriate to
the child’s level of understanding.
Parenting style
How to be a Good Parent?
• “parenting” is derived from the Latin verb parere,
defined as “to bring forth or produce” (My Etymology, 1. Love your child unconditionally
2008) 2. Be an example of the kind of person you want your
• manner in which parents rear their children. child to be.
• complex activity that includes many specific behaviors 3. Spend quality time together.
that work individually and together to influence child 4. Set reasonable rules and expectations for your child
outcomes. and be consistent.
• Effect between parenting and empathy for adolescent 5. Focus on positive behavior as much as possible.
prosocial behavior-The results showed that there was 6. Empower your child and help her feel capable.
a relationship between authoritative parenting and 7. Accept mistakes-your own and your child's.
empathy together towards prosocial behavior.
• Authoritative parenting and four positive correlations
Various Issues in Parenting
with adolescent prosocial behavior because children
who get attention, discipline, sincere affection from • Single Parenting
parents and family will have good social behavior • Long distance Parenting
(Syahril, Yusuf, S., Ilfiandra, & Adiputra, S., 2020) • Special Needs Families
4 types of Parenting Style

1. Authoritarian or Disciplinarian Building positive relationships with children for Single

• Disciplinarians Parent
• "are obedience- and status-oriented, and 1. Make the most of everyday moments.
expect their orders to be obeyed without 2. Be interested.
explanation. 3. Pay positive attention.
• Communication is mostly one way: 4. Make one-on-one time.
• Strict rules 5. Praise your child.
• Punishment 6. Acknowledge feelings
7. Create clear rules
2. Permissive or Indulgent 8. Try to be consistent
• let their children to do what they want to do 9. Choose your battles
• They are more like friends than parents.
5 Key Considerations for Long-Distance Parent Child
• They have limited or no rules and mostly let
Relationships
children figure problems out on their own.
• Communication is open 1. It needs to be a team effort.
• warm and nurturing. 2. Your parenting plan needs to be precise, yet adaptable.
• Expectations are typically minimal or not set 3. Understand the importance of consistency.
by these parents. 4. Be proactive in helping your children cope.
5. Flex your creativity muscles.
3. Uninvolved/Neglect
• give their children a lot of freedom and
generally stay out of their way. The usual challenges of parenting are compounded for
• No particular discipline style is utilized. parents and primary caregivers of children with special
• let’s a child mostly do what he wants, probably needs.
out of a lack of information or caring. • Learning about the disability
• Communication is limited. • Researching, locating and accessing effective
• Little nurturing treatments and resources
• No expectations • Coping with the emotional and physical demands of
caring for an individual with a disability
4. Authoritative
• Getting to the innumerable appointments with medical
• reasonable and nurturing, and set high, clear providers, therapists, advocates, and school personnel
expectations. • Advocating for appropriate school interventions,
• tend to be self-disciplined and think for accommodations, and/or placements
themselves. • Paying for the many treatments and interventions not
• most beneficial to children. covered by health insurance or the school system.
• Disciplinary rules are clear and the reasons
behind them are explained.
Self-care and support information sources before making decisions. Filipinos have
special forms of address for older members of
• Books by other parents of children with special needs the family, older relatives, and even older
• Internet discussion boards or online parent support siblings, for they all have authority over the
groups child.
• Local support groups (consider starting one if none
exists) Parenting in US
• Advocacy groups, both general and disability specific
• American parents are more likely to focus on
• School district Special Education Parent Advisory
the importance of maintaining high levels of
Council (SEPAC)
mental arousal and activity.
• The PACER Center for children with disabilities:
http://www.pacer.org/ WEEK 16: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNTIES
• Sign up to receive news from the Neuropsychology &
Education Services for Children and Adolescents 1. WORK-LIFE BALANCE FINDING HARMONY
(NESCA) group practice blog. BETWEEN WORK & LIFE
• The expression "work-life balance" was first
Child Rearing Practices used in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s
to describe the balance between an
• process used to bring up a child from birth through individual's work and personal life.
adulthood.
• There was a time when the boundaries
• cultural influences and how parents make decisions between work and home were fairly clear
on such complex issues.
• Today work is likely to invade our personal life
• Child rearing practices differ from one parent to and maintaining work-life balance is no simple
another. Different child rearing practices lead to task.
different child upbringing. It is one of the causes for
individual differences. One is far different to another CHALLENGES
because of how he was brought up by his parents
(Artisan, 2005). • Increasing demands from work reduce quality
• According to UNICEF, approximately 250,000 family time.
children are living on the streets, and about 3.7 • Stress and burnout affect family relationships.
million children are working. With this scenario, • Communication reduced among family
parents are responsible for providing their children member.
to become competent and responsible citizens of the
CONSEQUENSES
country
• Reduced parental involvement in children's
Cultural Contexts of Parenting
lives.
• Cultural contexts give parents and children a • Increased tension between partners.
reference point for norms and expectations about • Poorer mental and physical health
how parents should behave toward children • Higher likelihood to engage in problem like
(Gottlieb & DeLoache, 2016). drugs
• Adolescents referred to clinics for treatment in • Anxiety and depression levels
Thailand exhibit more over controlled behaviour • Higher levels of emotional exhaustion
problems (e.g., fearfulness, worrying); adolescents • Less life satisfaction
in the U.S. exhibit more under controlled behaviour • Higher levels of stress
problems (e.g., disobedience, fighting; Weisz et al., • Less physical exercise
1987). • Poor appetite
• Fatigue
Parenting Changes as Children Develop
OPPORTUNITIES
• Infancy: responsiveness, attachment
• Early childhood: scaffolding to promote self- • Promote flexible work schedules.
regulation and emotion socialization • Encourage employers to support family-
• Middle childhood: behavioral control friendly policies.
• Adolescence: monitoring, psychological control
2. DIVORCE/ SEPARATION AND ITS
Parenting in the Philippines
CONSEQUENCES FOR FAMILIES
• In the Philippines, decisions are made by
consensus and on the basis of anticipated Divorce- dissolution of marriage
benefit to the family. Filipinos must consult
with other family members, especially elders,
 CHALLENGES Types of Caregivers:

• Rising divorce rates lead to disrupted family Family Caregivers: Spouses, children, grandchildren.
structures. Mental, Emotional, and financial
stress for all family members. Professional Caregivers: Nurses, home health aides,
social workers.
IMPACT
UNDERSTANDING AGING
• Children face instability and mental health
challenges. Increased financial strain for Physical Changes:
single parents.
• Decreased muscle mass and bone density.
OPPORTUNITIES Vision and hearing impairments are common.
• Career advancement
Cognitive Changes:
• Personal growth
• New relationships
• Memory decline, slower processing speeds.
• Starting a business
Increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s
• Simply taking time for self-reflection and
disease.
healing
• Provide accessible counseling services. Common Health Issues:
• Create community support groups for
divorced families. • Chronic conditions: arthritis, diabetes, heart
disease.
3. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE
• Prevalence of physical, emotional, and CHALLENGES
psychological abuse within families.
1.Financial and emotional strain on caregivers.
• The Anti-Violence Against Women and their
Children Act of 2004, or Republic Act 9262, is 2.Potential neglect of elderly family members’needs.
a law that addresses violence against women
and children (VAWC) 3.Burden, stress, physical and psychological strain

IMPACT 4. Poor health habits (i.e. neglecting health care, eating

poor-quality diet)
• Long-term trauma for survivors, especially
children. 5. Impact on work - (e.g. late arrival, leaving early, t
• Breakdowns in family trust and safety. aking time off or leave of absence, retire early.

Key Aspects of Education About Healthy 6.Financial burdens

Relationships:
7.Difficulty in finding time for themselves
• Communication Skills
8.Family conflict
• Respect and Boundaries
• Conflict Resolution
• Empathy and Emotional Support
OPPORTUNITIES
• Recognizing Red Flags
• Self-Worth and Independence. Government Assistance Programs:
OPPORTUNITIES • Information on financial aid, tax benefits, and
respite care.
• Strengthen legal protections for victims.
• Enhance education about healthy Peer Support Groups:
relationships.
• Connecting with other caregivers to share
4. AGING AND CAREGIVING FOR ELDERLY FAMILY experiences and coping strategies.
MEMBERS
Online Forums:
Definition of Caregivers: • Platforms where caregivers can seek advice
and share resources.
Individuals who provide assistance to those who are ill, • Encourage community-based care networks.
disabled, or elderly.