Family Mapping

This week we learned how to map our own families. I was a little confused at first but after going over it in class I think I now understand. Family maps were created to show the quality of interaction between family members.A girl in class mapped her own family on the board and it was really interesting to see how she portrayed her own family. There are three different types of boundaries that are used in mapping:

Rigid- There is little exchange between to the two individuals
Clear- An appropriate amount of exchange between two people
Diffuse- The relationship is very open, the boundaries are violated

After learning about this in class I started thinking about my own family and what the boundaries are like between my parents and my siblings. I have always thought my family is pretty open about everything and we are all pretty close. I still think this but I am interested to see what the boundaries will be like ten years from now. The youngest sibling in my family is 15 and the oldest is 28. Ten years from now we will all have our own families and we will probably be spread out across the country. I enjoy learning about the boundaries because then it forces me to reflect on the relationships I have with my 6 siblings and then that encourages me to think of ways to improve those relationships.

Decreasing Birth Rates

This week in class we were able to discuss many family trends that are occurring now. One of the trends is the decline of birth rates. Now some families are waiting to have children until later in their lives for different reasons. It could be because they think there are more important things in their lives to do like working/traveling or because they didn't get married until later in their lives. There are many other reasons why fewer children are being born; it is different for every person. In the textbook for class I read a very interesting fact it says, "Without immigration, the U.S. population will eventually decline if birth rates remain at the present low level" (p. 12). I think this is crazy and sad that families are not having as many kids. In "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" it states, "The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan." The family is ordained of God! I know that in order to fulfill God's plan for us having a family is essential! I am grateful that I have this knowledge of His plan and that I can start my own family one day.

Follow the link below to read all of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."
https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng

Intro

Hey everyone! I'm Hannah and I am attending Brigham Young University-Idaho. My major is Marriage and Family Studies and I am minoring in music. I am number 5 of 7 kids in my family. I grew up in Athens, Ohio and attended Athens High School. My two favorite things are singing and ice cream! In this blog I will be discussing meaningful facts or ideas about families. I am really excited to learn more about families and how I can improve the relationships I have with my family members now. Also, I know that what I learn now will benefit me when I start my own family.