To Change My Relationship With My Unhappy Parents

Teaching Guide: Getting Along with Parents

HOW TO HAVE
A GREAT RELATIONSHIP
WITH YOUR PARENTS

1. RESPECT EACH OTHER
Without mutual respect, any relationship will be an unhappy one. People who respect each other: a) value each other’s opinions, b) listen to each other, c) disagree without screaming or insults. And remember, your parents have lived longer than you – don’t discount their experience and knowledge.

2. COMMUNICATE: Your parents want to know what’s going on in your life. If you keep them in the dark they won’t know when you need their help or whether they can trust you. Tell them what you’re up to, share your thoughts and feelings with them, and seek their advice for your problems (you don’t have to take it). Communication builds closeness.

3. BUILD TRUST: Trust is your key to freedom. The way to build trust is through honesty and responsibility. Honesty means you don’t lie or manipulate. Responsibility means you are reliable and can be counted on to use good judgment. When your parents trust you, it’s a lot easier for them to say “yes.”

These guidelines work both ways. If, on occasions, your parents violate any of these guidelines, talk to them about it. Pick a time when you are both calm and feeling good toward each other (never when you’re angry). Then, explain to them what they did, how it makes you feel, and what you’d them to do instead.

Unfortunately, these guidelines don’t always work. Since we can only control what we do, and not what our parents do, sometimes we are truly helpless to transform a bad relationship. If this is the case, try to use these guidelines to at least improve things a little, and talk with a trusted adult who may be able to help you.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

If you are using the video, ask the first two questions before viewing.

1. What things do your parents do that really bug you?

2. What do you do that really bugs your parents?

3. Do you think your parents understand the changes you are going through at this age? If not, what could you do to help them understand?

4. What are some things you would to talk to your parents about but feel you can’t? Why don’t you think you can talk to them about these things? How have you tried? What happened?

5. Do you find it difficult to express your emotions to your parents? If so, why?

6. how many of you think you have good communications with your parents? What makes it good? How many of you are unhappy with your communications with your parents? What gets in the way?

This material is from the teaching guide
for the video “Getting Along with Parents“
in the 12-part DVD series Big Changes, Big Choices.

7. What are the benefits of communicating with your parents?

8. Does the amount of freedom your parents give you change from time to time? What are the factors that influence those changes?

9. Do you think your parents should give you total freedom, with no limits at all? If not, what should those limits be?

10. One girl in the video said that building your parents’ trust is the key to freedom. What did she mean by that? Do you agree? Why? What can you do to build that trust?

12. In an ideal relationship with your parents, what would be their responsibility to you and yours to them?

13. What differences exist between your parents’ values and your own? Do these differences have anything to do with some of the conflicts that occur between you? Do you try to consider their values when you talk to them about difficult issues?

14. Are there things you feel you need from your parents that you’re not getting? Do you tell them that? If not, what would happen if you did? Do you ask your parents what they need from you?

15. It’s often said that people do what they’re rewarded for doing. Do you ever tell your parents when you think they’re doing a good job of being parents? If so, how do they respond? If not, how are they supposed to know?

16. What was most meaningful to you in this video? Why?

(If you wish to copy or use any material from this website, please click here for Terms of Use.)

  Other teaching guides in this series:  

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

1. What are some things that kids your age say that are guaranteed to close down a conversation with parents? Let’s make a list.

2. What are some things that parents say that shut things down? Let’s make a list.

3. ROLE PLAY (For girls) You are going out with your friends to a big school dance. You’ve bought some new clothes and jewelry for the event.

You spend a lot of time getting dressed and putting on your make up and you think you look great.

4. ROLE PLAY (For boys) You have a friend who always gets in trouble. Your parents want you to stop hanging out with him. You still him and don’t think your parents understand. He asks you to spend Saturday with him at the mall. Now you have to get your parents permission.

Follow-up questions for both role plays. Put yourself in your parents’ shoes and ask these questions:– What would be my worst fear?– How could you talk to me about these fears?– How could you show me that you are ready for this responsibility?– What would be a fair solution to this problem?

5. BRAINSTORM: Let’s think up some rules that would help make relations between parents and teens better. (See “How to Have a Great Relationship With Your Parents” at the top of this column.)

(If you wish to copy or use any material from this website, please click here for Terms of Use.)

Causes Of Unhappy Families , Sample of Essays

Storming the living room crying, Josh shouts out, “I hate you guy’s” He’s yelling this out to his family. As many of you are wondering why someone would be yelling such hurtful words to his very own family? Not only does this kid say this but many other children out there do the same because they are unhappy.

How many people out there feel their family is unhappy? People wonder why their family is very unhappy occasionally. Many families have opportunities to have a strong happy family and many others do not.

They are a few causes in unhappy families, but can also be fixed if families are willing to make the sacrifices into becoming a better healthy family. Sometimes these things just happen naturally but nothing can stop a family into becoming a happy one. There are many forces that create unhappy uncommunicative families.

Some of those forces to cause a family to be unhappy are financial problems, stress problems, and drinking problems.

The first cause in creating unhappy uncommunicative families is financial problems. Financial problems not only bring stress to the family but also bring lack of bonding. Many families go out once in a while but when having financial problems it’s hard to do so.

For example, going out for a nice family dinner every Sunday night can bring families closer together and can be a great way to communicate, but it’s hard to even do that when there is no money for it.

Another example of why financial problems makes families unhappy is because families to go out once in a while to have fun, especially if there are very young ones in the family.

Kids love to go out and have fun, but not being able to take your kid out to have fun is unhappy to the kid and hurting for the parent. Couples argue frequently over financial problems.

The wife wonders were all the paycheck went, and always says the money was not spent wisely, when it’s time to pay the house bills. That there also causes stress to the relationship between those two partners. Kid’s seeing their parents struggle with financial problems is unhealthy. Kids are too young to be aware or seeing that but a lot of families to argue in front of children.

The Essay on Young People Family Person Problems

… self-esteem or rejection Unexpected events such as pregnancy or financial problems Predispositions, stressors and behaviors weave together to form a composite … / physical disabilities Absent or divorced parents; inadequate bonding in adoptive families Family conflict; poor parent / child relationships Personality traits, especially when they …

Drinking is a second cause of unhappiness in families. Men are mostly the ones that have drinking problems in families. Drinking has so much effect in families in many ways. It brings argument, violence, and money problems and possibly abuse so all of that brings unhappiness to the family.

Not only does their partner suffer but also the children suffer as well. People that drink to stay out late at night to drink instead of staying in with the family. That’s where the arguments between couples come in. The wife or husband doesn’t appreciate that their partner is out late drinking.

Wife or husband will wait up all night just waiting for him or her to arrive home and then possibly start the argument which is not a great idea if that person is drunk. That’ll make the drunken person react in many ways. It’s not good for the children to see the parents argue frequently over their drunken parent. Drinking also falls into financial problems.

It is also bad because children want to follow in their parents footsteps and an alcoholic parent is not a good role model.

The Research paper on Relationship Between Parents and Children in Chinese Family

… and son. Conflicting parents-children relationship in Chinese family causes more serious problems on adolescents, alcohol drinking, drug use, and … to get a harmonious relationship.

The same interests can make parents-children relationship close, almost friendship. Take E. B. … , some adolescent who cannot suffer from the painful stress and high requirement prefer to commit suicide.

People …

The final cause of unhappiness in families in today’s world is stress. Families are all caught up in their own worlds. Some are working, some go to school or some are doing both. So that causes stress toward the family because their all stressed out about school and or work.

Families have different school/work schedules so that makes it hard for them to see or even communicate to one another. Some families even have to have their own board of communication, to write to one another or to remind one another about different stuff. That’s a good idea, but not so good because that’s sad that that’s the way the family communicates.

Family stress can stop the family to sit together for a simply daily dinner. So that causes lack of communication. Being able to sit as a family is a great way to communicate, tell everyone what’s going on in their lives, what’s bothering them and doing this can even release some stress.

Being able to talk about things to one another can really release stress in the family and can link one another closer together as a happy healthy family.

In conclusion, no matter what there will always be unhappy families out in this world for these reasons or various other reasons. Many families break up and many others find a way to fix their problems and try to make the best of it. At the end of the day families will always love one another even though they are unhappy and broken.

The most important thing to do is try to fix the relationship and have a closer happier family. Make a better effort in even just sitting as a family at the end of the day to just sit and communicate and tell one another what is going on in their lives , so they don’t feel strangers to one another.

And by talking to one another about their problems with anything or anyone can release some stress towards the family relationship and become a much happier family.

The Essay on Family Values 4

… ’s ABCX model, identifies contributors to family stress, buffers against stress, and agents that cause family crisis (Grunert, 2013). In the … anxiety of the child and the family member combine.

In the perioperative setting family stress adaptation theory is conducive to … is taking longer than it usually predicted. Families adapt to stress in different ways, or possess different coping mechanisms …

Источник: //educheer.com/causes-of-unhappy-families/

Are You Trapped & Unhappy in Your Relationship?

Do you feel trapped in a relationship you can’t leave?

Of course, feeling trapped is a state of mind. No one needs consent to leave a relationship. Millions of people remain in unhappy relationships that range from empty to abusive for many reasons; however, the feeling of suffocation or of having no choices stems from fear that’s often unconscious.

People give many explanations for staying in bad relationships, ranging from caring for young children to caring for a sick mate. One man was too afraid and guilt-ridden to leave his ill wife (11 years his senior).

His ambivalence made him so distressed, he died before she did! Money binds couples, too, especially in a bad economy.

Yet, more affluent couples may cling to a comfortable lifestyle, while their marriage dissolves into a business arrangement.

Homemakers fear being self-supporting or single moms, and breadwinners dread paying support and seeing their assets divided. Often spouses fear feeling shamed for leaving a “failed” marriage.

Some even worry their spouse may harm him- or herself. Battered women may stay fear of retaliation.

Most people tell themselves “The grass isn’t any greener,” believe they’re too old to find love again and imagine nightmarish online dating scenarios. Also, some cultures still stigmatize divorce.

Unconscious Fears

Despite the abundance of reasons, many of which are realistic, there are deeper, unconscious ones that keep people trapped – usually fears of separation and loneliness. In longer relationships, spouses often don’t develop individual activities or support networks. In the past, an extended family served that function.

Whereas women tend to have girlfriends in whom they confide and are usually closer with their parents, traditionally, men focus on work, but disregard their emotional needs and rely exclusively on their wife for support.

Yet, both men and women often neglect developing individual interests. Some codependent women give up their friends, hobbies, and activities and adopt those of their male companions.

For spouses married a number of years, their identity may be as a “husband” or “wife” – a “provider” or “homemaker.” The loneliness experienced upon divorce is tinged with feeling lost. It’s an identity crisis. This also may be significant for a noncustodial parent, for whom parenting is a major source of self-esteem.

Some people have never lived alone. They left home or their college roommate for a marriage or romantic partner. The relationship helped them leave home – physically. Yet, they’ve never completed the developmental milestone of “leaving home” psychologically, meaning becoming an autonomous adult. They are as tied to their mate as they once were to their parents.

Going through divorce or separation brings with it all of the unfinished work of becoming an independent “adult.” Fears about leaving their spouse and children may be reiterations of the fears and guilt that they would have had upon separating from their parents, which were avoided by quickly getting into a relationship or marriage.

Guilt about leaving a spouse may be due to the fact that their parents didn’t appropriately encourage emotional separation. Although the negative impact of divorce upon children is real, parents’ worries may also be projections of fears for themselves. This is compounded if they suffered from their parents’ divorce.

Lack of Autonomy

Autonomy implies being an emotionally secure, separate, and independent person. The lack of autonomy not only makes separation difficult, it naturally also makes people more dependent upon their partner. The consequence is that people feel trapped or “on the fence” and wracked with ambivalence.

On one hand, they crave freedom and independence; on the other hand, they want the security of a relationship – even a bad one. Autonomy doesn’t mean you don’t need others. In fact, it allows you to experience healthy dependence on others without the fear of suffocation.

Examples of psychological autonomy include:

1. You don’t feel lost and empty when you’re alone.
2. You don’t feel responsible for others’ feelings and actions.
3. You don’t take things personally.
4. You can make decisions on your own.
5. You have your own opinions and values and aren’t easily suggestible.
6. You can initiate and do things on your own.
7. You can say “no” and ask for space.
8. You have your own friends.

Often, it’s this lack of autonomy that makes people unhappy in relationships or unable to commit. Because they can’t leave, they fear getting close. They’re afraid of even more dependence – of losing themselves completely. They may people-please or sacrifice their needs, interests, and friends, and then build resentments toward their partner.

A Way Your Unhappiness

The way out may not require leaving the relationship. Freedom is an inside job. Develop a support system and become more independent and assertive. Take responsibility for your happiness by developing your passions instead of focusing on the relationship. Find out more about becoming assertive in my e-book, How to Speak Your Mind — Become Assertive and Set Limits.

Are You Trapped & Unhappy in Your Relationship?

Related Articles

Источник: //psychcentral.com/lib/are-you-trapped-unhappy-in-your-relationship/

How I Found Peace in My Relationship with My Parents, Part 1: A Child’s Wish

This is part 1 of my 4-part series on how to improve your relationship with your parents.

Forenote

(Jul 12, ’11) – Some of you may have noticed that I’ve never written about my parents or my relationship with them. It’s not by intention; just that there’s never been a reason to write about it. That is, until recently, as I start gaining resolution in new areas of my life. Today’s post marks the first post where I share in detail about this as-of-yet unknown side of my life.

I foresee this to be the first in many posts to come where I share more of the inner sides of my life.

With PE, I want to create a common, safe space where every single one of us is free to openly discuss about our vulnerabilities, our deepest desires, our fears, and our passions, without judgment or discernment by anyone. I want all of us not to be afraid to say what we’re feeling on the inside.

Where others may see the sharing of one’s emotions and desires as being weak and vulnerable, I see this as a strength, because it is from our emotions that we draw our greatest power in life. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

The more you open yourself up, the more you’ll grow.

I look forward to connecting with more of you in this journey of life ahead. Here’s to an extremely exciting journey ahead.

Источник: //personalexcellence.co/blog/parents/