Adventures in Family Relations

My dad was always so good at knowing how to handle angry people growing up. It seemed he could always say the right things in exactly the right tone of voice to get the aggressor to calm down and see his point of view. In fact, I most often remember him using his impressive calming powers on myself. I would be fired up and looking for a fight, but after a talk from my dad the anger turned into a peace like feeling and I felt a strong desire to resolve the situation. See, what my dad really was good at was controlling the situation. By saying the correct things at the right times, in the right ways, he had the aggressor’s entire reaction in his hands. It was incredible to witness. It wasn’t until years later, until this Family relations class, that I figured out how he did it, and that it had a name. My dad was a pro at the disarming technique. The disarming technique, also known as the five secrets of effective communication, is a way to metaphorically ‘disarm’ your verbal aggre...

To cope is to deal with something difficult. This is a relevant term to be familiar with in a life where things to be coped with are unavoidable. Trial are often viewed as problems to be coped through, especially in marriages and relationships. The main dilemma with this mindset is that the issues are merely lived through instead of dealt with. All marriages, and families, have their own distinct issues, and each is unique in their own way. Examples of trials in marriages are infertility, death, financial burdens and natural disasters. Because each family's issue is unique to them, their dynamics and situation, there is not a singular way for every family to cope with them. Husband and wife can however control the attitude they have when facing it. This is something that is entirely in their deposition to choose. When these issues are properly addressed and dealt with (again, how this is done is different for every family) they can have beautiful results. The fact of struggling t...

Sex is most often a barometer of how a good a marriage really is. It is not, by far, the most important aspect of martial relationships, but the quality of marriages can be observed through the satisfaction of the sex life. It should be no surprise that the most complicated and personal aspect of relationships, physical intimacy, is better for couples who have good marriages then for those who are struggling. To understand the importance of sex in marriage, we must first analyze the differences in intimate systems between the genders, and how sex impacts each. Though the acts are physical, sexual relationships are primarily about connection between husband and wife, and the quality of said connection. However, each gender bonds with the other in very different ways, which can complicate the making of connections. For example, the woman’s primary form of connecting with men is through conversation and emotions. In fact, for women to have enjoyable sex, they must be connected wit...

Marriage is something that, as college students who are also members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, seems to be the very pinnacle, the peak of our young lives and collegiate experience. We’ve all been waiting for the chance to get and be married since childhood and have had no lack of support in this anticipation. Sunday school lessons in church were riddled with “one day when you are married” and various advice for knowing who, how, and when to tie the knot. I’m sure every single young woman has been asked to create a list of qualities she would like in her future husband. We’ve essentially been training for this all through our youth. Just the thought of having a spouse has become extremely fantasized. So, what happens when it actually comes, and how well will the training pay off? Marriage is a huge adjustment. There are many compromises between husband and wife that must be made in their journey to become one person. Traditions must be changed, made or me...