|
A relationship is the interaction between two or more people. It varies in type, intensity, and commitment. Adolescents commonly have relationships with families (parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents), friends, and the larger society (school, community). Relationships are important because they provide companionship, support and comfort; help us to feel loved, needed and wanted; and enable us share experiences. Life can thus be meaningless without good and satisfying relationships. It is therefore important to know the factors that impact on our relationships. These include: respect, understanding, sincerity, values, communication, self-esteem, and perception of others. How we treat others, their feelings and opinions, go a long way to determine the kind of relationship we have.
Click on the links below to read more about relationships with:
Families
Friends
Society
Family Relationships
People are raised in families and most live in families. A family consists of two or more people related to each other by blood or marriage. Family members related to us by blood are called "in-laws". Can you guess why? They are so called because the "law of marriage" joins us with them! That's why you have brothers-in-law, mother-in-law, uncles-in-law, etc. You even have cousins-in-law!
Your family is your first social contact and is where you first learn about relationships. How your parents relate to each other, to you and your siblings, your grandparents, as well as others around you, will have a lifelong effect on you and every other member of your family. This is why family relationships is very important and every effort should be made to have a healthy one. Each member of the family has a role to play in ensuring this and these roles complement one another.
Types of Families
There are many different kinds of families, varying by culture, structure and size. A nuclear family is most common and consists of a father, mother and at least one child. An extended family consists, in addition to the members of the nuclear family, grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, and in-laws. Do you see why it is called "extended"! This type of family is most common in Africa and Asia. Another type of family is the single-parent family, which includes an unmarried, divorced or widowed father or mother, raising a child or children. A fourth type of family is the step-family. In this case, the mother and father have remarried and children from the previous marriage live with the new parent and their children. A fifth type of family is the adoptive family. Here the family consists of a mother and/or a father and legally adopted children.
As you can see, the list goes on and on, but what is important is to realize that despite these differences, the role of the family stays the same. Let us look at some of these roles:
Roles of the Family
Perhaps the most important role of the family is to provide an emotionally supportive environment for its members to lead meaningful and gratifying lives, and reach their fullest possible potential. This can be achieved through love, care, protection and stability. Other roles of the family include provision of the physical needs of its members, e.g. food, clothing, shelter; and teaching of values and attitudes about life and relationships.
The Adolescent Within the Family
-
A child depends on his/her parents to fulfill most needs.
-
Adult family members usually decide a child's rights and responsibilities. However, you have rights as a child that must be respected by adults in the family.
-
Teen
age marks the beginning of the process of developing independence. This comes with increasing responsibility for yourself and others.
As children grow older and "try to find" themselves, conflicts may occur with parents, siblings, and/or other members of the family. This can get very turbulent for all members of the family because of the conflicts that arise about what to wear, curfew, friends, household duties/responsibilities, trust and values. If this phase adolescents are passing through is not carefully handled, it can lead to very serious consequences that may strain family relationships for life. It is therefore important for families to communicate, respect one another's rights, and show patience and understanding with one another. Some of the things could do to ease likely tension include:
-
Understanding that adolescence can be a time of stress for all members of the family and should be handled with care.
-
Understanding and accommodating each person's uniqueness. Despite the commonalities that members of a family share, each member has a unique personality and effort must be made to accommodate this.
-
Having open and honest communication about feelings and experiences.
-
Adolescents should try to understand that their parents are not trying to stifle their desire to be their own person, but are only trying to ensure they are not harmed or get into trouble.
-
Parents should take an active interest in their children and through their actions, show they are loving, supportive and understanding parents.
|
