Communication is extremely important in families, and members of the family need to be aware of not only what they are saying but how it is said and other non-verbal types of communication.

Communication is much more than what we say, we also much consider how we say it, the tone that we use is more important than what we actually say. Keep in mind that more than half of what you communicate is non-verbal, 14% verbal words, 35% tone, and 51% non-verbal (body language). we also discussed the flow of communication, from a personal thought to a personal feeling, then to an action, make an observation and then back to a personal thought, and the cycle continues. Some very important things to remember when communicating, especially over text message, or e-mail, be clear in what you mean, and take what is said as it is stated. We then discussed how these principles of communication can be used in a family setting, and that meetings with your family where each member feels that they can share their feelings without being mocked, or judged for what they say or feel. Communicating is important in any group, but especially in families.

Every member of the family is impacted when the family experiences a crisis.

In my class we discussed how different families cope with stress and crises, we discussed how it is vital for family members to communicate and include all family members when dealing with stress and crises that arise in family situations. Some situations my class discussed that occur where communication is important would be death, moving, job loss, and other events where each member is impacted. With death whether it is a sibling, parent, grandparent, aunt, cousin, whatever, it is important to talk about it, let each family member express their feelings and show that they are sad, this helps the family come closer together as they make an effort to comfort one another. In the situation of moving, it is important that each family member feels comfortable in their new house, new neighborhood, and with their new surroundings, as family members share how they feel and struggles they have with adjusting, they will become closer to other members of the family. I saw this happen when my family moved, I grew a lot closer to my brothers because we had moved to a new place and didn't know anyone, so we grew closer together as a family. Job loss is another situation where every family member is impacted, and the roles of each member can change, for example if the dad in a family lost his job, the mom and older children may get jobs to help support the family. Each family member is impacted and copes differently with stress and crises within the family, but communication is vital in every situation.

This past week (week 7) of my family relations class, we discusses sexual intimacy and Family Life, we discussed sexual intimacy within marriage, and how parents can talk to their children about sexual intimacy and when. We discussed that sexual intimacy is meant to bring a couple closer together on multiple levels, not just physically, but also spiritually, and emotionally. Along with the topic of sexual intimacy, my class discussed how parents can talk to their children about sexual intimacy. As a class, we agreed that the best way to address this topic is early, and when they ask questions and before they pursue other sources(such as friends, or older siblings) for information.

During the 6th week of my family relations class, we discussed the transitions in marriage. This topic was particularly interesting as we discussed transitions I hadn't really thought of before. I knew that some adjustments between single life and married life include sharing space, and sharing a bed. But a few transitions I had never really thought of before were things like coordinating plans with your spouse. As we discussed these adjustments necessary to make in marriage, I realized how these adjustments can either bring a couple closer together, or create a wedge between them. When a couple compromises and makes adjustments together, they grow closer. However, when they feel like they are the only one making compromises in the relationship, they are going to drift further apart.