SHAPING YOUR FAMILY’S FUTURE


INTRODUCTION


family, we also learned our views of being loveable and worthy of comfort and care from our family.


The arrival of a child means an addition to the family system. When one thing changes in a system, everything changes. Often a new mother will develop an increased closeness with either her own mother or other older female family members, establishing herself as a full- fledged member of their “adult” community. At the heart of FST is the idea of the family “rules”. Sometimes these are verbal rules, and at other times they are just silent assumptions—like the idea that conflict is bad. These rules aren’t all negative. Much of your time over these six sessions is spent exploring the “rules” of your family of origin, as well as the way those rules impacted your beliefs about family and parenting.


Unless you become a parent with a clear awareness of the impact of these rules, you


are likely to carry them into the family you are creating without even thinking about it. Once you’ve completed this course, you may find that you really like the rules you grew up with and want them to be part of your new family as well. If so, great! One final note: As you dig into your family of origin, you may be surprised at what you


uncover. If you begin struggling with issues that need to be handled in a more in-depth way, please talk with a professional. He or she will be able to guide you to the kind of help that goes beyond what is available in this resource. The Shaping Your Family’s Future sessions are no substitute for professional marital or psychological counseling. For more about this, click the button.


iB•TALK IT OVER


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