Sex Education

This week we talked about sex education. When is it appropriate to talk about sex to your children? Some say as young as 7 or 8 and others will say 14 or 15 years old. Personally, I never really had the sit down sex talk, I learned pretty much everything at the end of middle school and all throughout high school. It is difficult to ask myself this question because by the time I have children sex will be so prominent I will have to teach them at a young age. We also talked about sex being taught in the public schools. I was not taught about sex until I was in middle school and today this subject is being brought up in elementary schools. I read and article for this class that talked about students had an assignment where they had to go get prices of condoms and see which one was the best. To me it sounds like this school is not preventing sex but encouraging it as long as it's safe. Being a member of the church we know the best way to prevent sex is simple, don't have it! I want the school that my children go to to teach that sex is sacred and should be kept for marriage instead of teaching them the safe ways of having sex. I plan to encourage my children to be as open as they want with my husband and I as far as sex goes. I want them to have correct answers about this subject rather than learning it from their friends as school who know nothing on the subject.

Marriage

This week we talked all about marriage and the steps that lead into marriage. The first step to marriage is dating. Dating is how we get to know the other person and their likes and dislikes and from that we see if we want to continue dating them. If so, we court them, which in today's terms that is exclusive dating. Dating/courting someone can easily lead into marriage, that is why we have to be careful. My mom always tells me I need to be careful who I date because I will marry whoever I date. Our teacher told us that we should see our boyfriend or girlfriend in every season of the year to know how they handle certain situations.
After someone gets engaged they need to have a short engagement, three or four months because that is the time that most people "slip up." I feel this is the time Satan really gets a hold of the couple. He wants so badly to destroy the family that he will tempt us so much during this time. During engagement the couple plans a wedding and prepares for a marriage. A wedding is just the ceremony that seals the couple together but the marriage is the act of living together and learning how to work as a unit with each other and with children. Once the couple is married they have to learn how to balance a budget, which is a major reason for divorce, and they need to learn how to separate routines such as laundry, dishes, etc. I think this is important to start with your roommates because you learn how to depend on others. I really hope when I'm married I will be able to handle the responsibilities assigned to me and that my husband and I can learn and grow together and stay together forever.

Marriage, Dating and cohabitation

This week we talked about marriage and dating and cohabitation. It was interesting to note that 80% of the american population cohabitates. There are reasons why people cohabitate and some of those reasons are because they don't want the sting of lonliness, its an alternative to marriage, and pre-marriage. People often don't know that cohabitation is wrong. Many people think that cohabitating is a way to prepare for marriage. People want to cohabitate becuase then they can leave the relationship whenever they want because there is no commitment.
I also have come to learn that I should not be so choosy when I date people. A leader once told me that you can always train your husbands! Dating and marriage are essential to God's plan. Marriage and beginning a family is what the plan of salvation is all about. I am excited to begin a family of my own and fulfill God's plan.

Marriage, Dating and cohabitation

This week we talked about marriage and dating and cohabitation. It was interesting to note that 80% of the american population cohabitates. There are reasons why people cohabitate and some of those reasons are because they don't want the sting of lonliness, its an alternative to marriage, and pre-marriage. People often don't know that cohabitation is wrong. Many people think that cohabitating is a way to prepare for marriage. People want to cohabitate becuase then they can leave the relationship whenever they want because there is no commitment.
I also have come to learn that I should not be so choosy when I date people. A leader once told me that you can always train your husbands! Dating and marriage are essential to God's plan. Marriage and beginning a family is what the plan of salvation is all about. I am excited to begin a family of my own and fulfill God's plan.

Gender and Same-Sex Attraction

This week was all about gender differences and gay and lesbian families/relationships. To be honest, it was kind of awkward to talk about this, it makes me feel uncomfortable. Even though I felt out of my element I feel for people who are struggling with same sex attraction. We discussed in class that many people who are homosexual  usually had to deal with abuse of various types. It was sad for me to read about and discuss this topic because it was so closely related to abuse. I learned that many girls who were molested when they were little girls became lesbians when they got older. Although this is a touchy subject and very sad, I still do not nor will not ever agree with this lifestyle, especially marriage of gay couples. I have a firm belief in the family proclamation to the world and the things contained therein. Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and it will always be that way. Gay marriage is Satan's tactic to destroy the family.
Regarding gender, our class talked about the differences between men and women. Men are task-oriented and women are detail-oriented. Men, for the most part, like manly activities, they enjoy playing aggressively and being competitive. Women, for the most part, would rather talk about their feelings and be the nurturers of the family. However different men and women are, they all need the same thing, love. Each person needs love and needs to feel that they are accepted by their families and peers. Forming strong relationships with the right people at the right time is crucial to this process. I believe strong family relationships is the best base work for future relationships.

What is a family?

A big question this week in my Family Relations class this week was what is a family? Each of us came to an agreement that a family is a man and a woman that is legally married and sealed in the temple for time and all eternity and begin to have children. This brought up the big question of gay and lesbian families. Are they functional and alright with the views of society? Can children effectively be brought up in homosexual families. There were different answers thrown around but for me personally I still do not really have a set in stone answer. I want to say no because I just think homosexual families are wrong but that does not mean they can't effectively raise a happy family. I would rather families be the usual mom and dad but with the way the world is going that is being lessened each day. For the most part I think the children raised in these families can be raised to be successful and happy adults but at the same time I think their homosexual tendencies are raised dramatically. I will never agree with homosexual families but there is nothing I can do about it. Society plays a huge role in this as well. People justify things to make it seem like nothing is wrong when in reality it goes against most peoples morals.

Family Systems/Theories

This week in my Family Relations class we discussed family systems/theories. There are four types of theories, systems, exchange, conflict, and symbolic theory. If I were to define which category my family fell under it would be exchange theory. Each member of my family is very kind and willing to serve, we often do nice things for each other. It is kind of an unspoken rule that you do something nice for them in return. I love that we have this in our family. I feel like we all get along better because we live in a serviceable family. An example that was given in class was when your mom calls to make sure that you are safe or you got your package, essentially to alleviate her worries towards you. This has my mom written all over it. If I have to drive long distances I have to call her on my way out, halfway through the drive, and when I get there. I feel like families that have legitimate worries about each other are caring families. We also talked about the most important relationships in families. We all came to the conclusion that if the mom and dad do not have a healthy relationship then the rest of the family will not fall together correctly. I firmly believe that. I think that "If mom isnt happy then nobody is happy" applies to this. If there is a rift between the parents then the children will sometimes learn to solve their own problems with conflict because that is how they have seen their parents  do it. I am grateful for parents who get along and love each other. I can honestly say that I have never once heard my parents yell at each other. They know how to resolve things civilly and keep the spirit in our home.