Families - Paediatrics

Families

·        If you pluck the young shoot of the flax bush, where will you find the bellbird?

·        It will be fluttering about flying to the beach and sea!

·        What is the greatest thing in the world? I tell you, it is people, it is people

·        The task of childhood is development:

o   Social relationships

o   Emotional maturity

o   Sound set of values and beliefs

o   Sound thinking patterns

o   Knowledge

o   Of body and skills

·        Self esteem and self respect laid down in the first 7 years are influenced by: Gender, race, culture, sexuality, temperament, ordinal position, IQ, physical characteristics, creativity, did you arrive in the family at an okay time

·        Families are systems with:

o   Structure

o   Various roles

o   Authority

o   Channels of communication

·        Five characteristics of healthy families:

o   The marital relationship is the strongest relationship and the greatest focus of power

o   Communication is open and honest and permits spontaneous interruption

o   Warmth and caring predominates over anger and hostility

o   There are known problem solving techniques which can be instigated quickly

o   Movement towards independence for all members of the family

·        The family life cycle: constant reorganisation and change

o   Two form a couple:

§  Take on husband/wife/partner roles

§  Substantial reorganisation of boundaries: family, friends, togetherness vs autonomy

§  Work through differences

§  Structuring a relationship: complimentary vs symmetrical

o   First baby:

§  Parenting roles

§  Ensure spouse relationship remains the strongest

§  Reorganised boundaries to allow for grandparents, friends, interests

o   Preschoolers:

§  Protect spouse relationship: contact, support, being together 

§  Parent/child subsystem: affection, encouragement of appropriate autonomy, boundaries for child, individuating siblings from each other

o   Continued reorganising of boundaries: grandparents, outside world, work

·        School age children:

o   Integrating school and family systems

o   Allowing age appropriate autonomy 

o   Children less egocentric, more sensitive to other‟s needs, develop sense of fairness and gender awareness

·        Adolescence:

o   Issues of proximity and distance

o   Extending boundaries to allow independence

o   Continual renegotiation – autonomy vs control

o   Sibling individuation from each other

·        Young Adult: between families

o   Differentiating self from family of origin

o   Leaving home, career development

o   Intimate peer relationships, courtship

o   Parents: at height of careers, retirement looming

o   Grandparents: needy, mobility, loss of sight, death

o   Parents take on grandparent roles