Conflict In Marriage

Most people think that conflict in marriage is a bad thing to have, but what people don't realize is how it can actually have a positive effect on marriage.
This week's reading and discussion we talked about how conflict can have a positive effect because it can bring all the issues the marriage was going through out in the open so the couple can talk about it and get it resolved, it clarifies issues, and the fight they may encounter will actually be a good fight and not have the couple resenting each other.
The reason most couples have conflicts is because there is usually a power struggle in the marriage that will actually make conflicts in the marriage worse unless they get resolved through good conflict and not ending in arguments.

Intimacy

The role of intimacy is very important in a marriage. Intimacy outside of marriage can be damaging on a relationship because that bond should only be formed with one person that you would like to spend the rest of your life with. It makes a big difference who you share that connection with.
All parents should talk to their teenager about the importance of intimacy so they don't just have it with any person they think they are "in love" with, but to wait until they are married so they know for sure the connection they will have with their spouse.
Before a couple gets married, they should talk about their expectations and the role that intimacy will play in their marriage. The conversation may seem awkward at first, but you will be creating a stronger bond with them if you both know each others needs.

New Baby

This week in class we discussed the effects that having children have on a marriage.
Babies are a blessing in so many ways, but it can bring hardships on the marriage for several different reasons like: not spending as much time together, always taking care of the baby, taking different responsibilities, etc. The best way couples can work through their issues is if they are communicating and working together to raise their child. 
It is actually fairly common for a couple to get divorced after their first or second child is born because they do not work together to fit the babies needs, but start growing apart because they feel they have two different responsibilities in the home.
When the father is not at work, he should take care of the children instead of the mother so that the father gets his bonding time with the children and the wife can have a break to get other things done that she needs too.

Cohabitation

Most couples in society are cohabiting. Cohabitation is referring to couples who are not married, but are living together. By living this way, the couple is actually damaging their relationship. There are several reasons why people choose to live together before marriage, but the main reason is to test out being married. What those couples don't understand is their relationship is more be likely to end up breaking up or in be divorce. The reason that is, is because when two people live together, they still have their own property that is separate from their significant other and that is the attitude they take into marriage. While those who don't live together first start their marriage by putting all property from both sides on the table and share everything and grow closer because of it.

Gender identity

This week we studied about how so person can be influenced on their sexual preferences. We found out that most of male issues comes from the lack of a good father influence. If a man has a distant or strained father, they are more likely to be hanging around more males than females to get the fulfillment they need, then they are fine to go out on dates with girls. There are some occasions when the men don't get that fulfillment until after they have sexual relations with members of the same sex.
It is important to know the details behind the identity people choose because there is always a reason that determines how the person will spend their life.

Diversity in Families

Diversity happens in several families all over the world. The main issue with diversity is that families are broken up or they are strained. The main one that I think is affecting the family most is being raised in a single-parent family. This is including, divorce, death, or a single-parent adopting. Single-parent families are becoming more common everyday and the reason it is such an issue is because a child needs both a mother and father to help raise and let them have different learning experiences. In some cases, raising a child by oneself isn't an option, and the parent does the very best they possibly can, but in other family situations, it is important that both parents are involved.

Theories

This week we learned about how important theories are in families. While discussing the systems theory, I found out that is talking about roles that certain members in the family takes and the relationships that are formed, strengthened, or separated. To better fully understand your family, it really does help to realize what sets your family apart from any other family, as well as rules that help your family grow and evolve.

There are people who think, "What can I get out of this?" while they are helping one another. We need to stop being in that frame of mind, but help others because that is the right thing to do and we will get many blessings from it.