Final Lessons

Well, we've reached the end of the semester folks. My first semester of college. 

I would most defiantly call this a semester of hardships. It's my time alone in a state without any family around. It's my first time living with total strangers and sharing my own personal space. It's pretty intimidating. I am looking forward though to another new semester. A new start almost.

The final lessons in this class:

12.) Divorce & Remarriage

13.) The Aging Family

Lesson twelve covered divorce and remarriage.

Most everyone knows how much divorce can affect the dynamic of a family. Divorce rips families apart. Financially you lose out more when you divorce. The bills are no longer shared and there is now child support to pay, if there are children in the equation. The percentage of divorces has skyrocketed since even the 1950’s. Divorces occur due to many different factors. Some examples are physical abuse, verbal abuse, finances, lack of communication, and other sources. Remarriage has also climbed over the years. Men are more likely to divorce then women. They are also likely to remarry sooner after their last marriage. 

The aging family was really fascinating to me. It says that when we first get married we have the honeymoon phase, where we are really affectionate with our spouse. Once we have children and raise them up it slowly decreases the intimacy in the marriage. This happens because the primary focus changes from only the spouse to the priority of the children. Once the children are grown and out of the house though the relationship kicks back up. "Life is a roller-coaster" as they say.

I really enjoyed this class. It was my favorite of the semester, and I'm not just saying that to butter up the teacher. I learned SO much that will GREATLY benefit my future home and family. These are very valuable lessons that everyone should learn about an take to heart. 

Thanks you so much to brother Williams!

xoxo-Hayley 

Lessons 10 & 11

Hey readers and fellow bloggers!

We're down to the home stretch now. Can you believe the first semester of school is almost over?!
Time sure fly's when you're having fun:)

 In lessons 10 and 11 we covered:

• Fathers and Finances
• Parenting

 In lesson 10 we covered the importance and significance of fathers. Believe it or not a fathers role is very critical. The lack of, or complete absence of,a fatherly figure can actually affect a child's behavior. Coming from a household of divorced parents my father was lacking in the day to day life of myself and my eldest brother. He would visit on holidays and have us for part of the summer vacation but it wasn't nearly enough. I read an article last week that said that a child is more likely to lash out and rebel without a fatherly role in the household. They are also more likely to have drug and alcohol abuse and have premarital sex. It's amazing how much the lack of a father can impact the whole family dynamic.
     Finances were also stitched to fathers mainly because fathers are the usual breadwinners in the household. No matter the case though of who is "bringing home the bacon" family budgeting is really important. It creates less conflict on how much is spent in certain places. If there is a budget then the money is cut off once the budget is reached. It saves money in the long run which could be used for fun activities or vacations with the whole family later on.

Ahh parenting. There isn't a manual for it. No special coach or teacher available. No quick-fix product that can be sold. Like most things in life this is one of those "practice makes perfect" and "learning by doing" things. I'm not a parent yet but I've seen many a different type of parenting tactic in my life. Active parents are the ones who usually become the most respected by the children. Those parents who really try to be a part of their child's life. Birth order is interesting in parenting as well. The eldest is usually called upon to assist the parent in most cases. The youngest usually gets the most attention from the parents. The middle child or children just tend to be there and have a neutral playing zone. I would know, I am one. I wasn't really ignored but I also wasn't really given as much attention as my younger brother. I didn't mind that much though. I've always enjoyed my space.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo-Hayley