Living Life - Marriage and Family

 Let's talk about parenting. It seems to me that kids are very sensitive. You can mold them to be who they will become for the rest of their lives. They are very impressionable. One fear of mine is that I won't be a good parent. I am sure that is a fear for a lot of people. Some might wonder, "how can I raise my kids to be self-reliant?" "What is the most important thing to teach kids to set them up for the future?" "What if I mess up? Then what?" All valid questions, and I know there are many more. My personal question would be, "what are aspects of parenting that I can focus on is that my kids turn out the best they can be?" I want you to know that your parenting will not be perfect. Parenting just isn't ever perfect. We are human and make mistakes. As well as our efforts to teach our kids, they also have the agency to follow your guidance or go their own way. They need to figure out their own lives and experience their own conseque...

Two things that can affect life and marriage in a major way are Fathers and Finances. First I am going to start with fathers. Fathers are really important. My father has influenced my life extremely, and I am so grateful for him. He has been a guide to me throughout my life. Fathers play a vital role in a child's development, starting from infancy. Studies show that infants can form strong attachments to both parents from birth, and father involvement leads to improved health outcomes like better weight gain in premature babies and higher breastfeeding rates. Isn't that cool? Fathers who also use authoritative parenting—balancing love with clear expectations—help their children develop better emotional, social, and behavioral skills. I have definitely seen this in my life. Sure, it's not fun when you get in trouble and your dad has to raise his voice a little, but we can see that this impacts children a lot. The positive influence of a father continues as children grow. Kid...

 Communication. This is a subject that I really love because communication can fix so much in our lives. I am not the best communicator, that's for sure! Sometimes I wonder how I can possibly get better at it. I feel like sometimes what I say is never actually what I feel, and that I can never effectively communicate. I know that communication is key when it comes to a happy and healthy relationship. That relationship can be with friends, or a significant other. For those of you who have this as a worry about getting married and starting a family, don't worry. This skill can be learned. This is important to know because couples argue. It is a part of being married. But we can learn how to have effective communication that will bring you closer to each other rather than pushing you apart. One thing I might suggest is that you learn now how to be a good communicator. Create good habits now because they will bless your future. Have empathy as you communicate. When I talk about com...

 This week we talked about family trials and how our responses can either tare our families apart or bring them closer together. Many young people may not want to start families because of the challenges that are ahead of them if they do. Yes, having a family is hard. Caring for kids is hard. Challenges and trials are inevitable. "While it is true that parents  once were more likely to report they were  less happy than their childless peers, today that is most definitely  not true ."..." childless  Americans are now more likely to report their lives are lonely, and less likely to report they are meaningful and happy. A clear majority of men and women (nearly 60%) ages 18-55 who do not have kids say they are lonely some, most, or all of the time." There are many resources and data out there proving that having kids actually doesn't make you less happy. It actually makes you happier and less lonely. I think having a family and creating a meaningful marriage can gi...

This week was so very interesting. This entry will be about us young adults understanding healthy relationships and a loving marriage through sexual intimacy.  "Just as Jesus used a child in His mortal ministry as an example for the people of the pure love they must and could have to be like Him, He has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves. That is because the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is."(Henry B. Eyering)  Healthy sexuality involves a positive and respectful approach. It includes being comfortable and confident with one’s body, showing affection for its own sake, and maintaining mutual agency and freedom of choice in the bedroom. Both partners—whether they have a higher or lower sex drive—feel heard and respected. Healthy sexuality is also restrained and respectful, with st...

 There are so many wrong things that can happen with a marriage. That is why it has scared me so much. I don’t know all the potential reasons why a marriage can fall apart. I wish I did. How am I to know what’s best for my marriage, and what will make a good marriage last? Not knowing all of this, as well as being presented with a lot of imperfect marriages, gave me a view that marriages are hard and not worth all the difficulty. I’ve expressed before that I didn’t believe marriage was for me. Something about me is that I love romantic movies. These movies filled me with excitement! I dreamed of the day that my true love would sweep me off my feet in several acts of excitement and devotion. These character couples are so happy in these stories. Rarely would I see them get married and actually have a life together, but the euphoria of that observed “love” made the marriage and spending the rest of your life with that person not matter. I was convinced that this is how life really ...