Finding Hope in Hopeless Times

  Parenting is a hot topic regularly discussed in the media and in people's day-to-day lives. For many, parenting causes quite a bit of anxiety, with more and more people choosing to avoid it. Looking at data on the subject, the Pew Research Center reports a long-term decline in larger families, noting that most American women today (about 62%) ages 40-44 have only one or two children. However, despite this, reports have shown that about 41% of American adults today believe that having three or more kids is the most ideal, the highest peak in this view since 1997. So, if more people share these views, why are we still having fewer children? Some researchers point to current parenting trends and views to explain this phenomenon. Dr. Leanord Sax, an expert in child development and a family physician and psychologist, believes that a lack of confidence in one's parenting abilities and the handing over of parental responsibilities to children is to blame. One example he looks a...

  This week, I had the opportunity to reflect on the roles and importance of fathers. As I did so, I could help but think about my experiences with my dad growing up and how grateful I am for him. Although I didn't recognize it growing up, moving to the other side of the country for college has helped me see how much my dad has done for me and how much I cherish his example. While we still have our arguments and disagreements from time to time, I appreciate that I have such a strong paternal figure in my life when many men don't step up to the role of fatherhood. As I thought about some of my fondest memories with my dad, one of my favorites was the daddy-daughter Saturday night activities we would have when I was growing up. When I was younger, my parents would take turns spending a Saturday night alone with each kid. No matter what my dad and I did that evening, I always had fun because it allowed us to bond with each other and helped me see how much my dad cared. Althoug...

  This week, I had the opportunity to learn more about a topic frequently mentioned when discussing relationships: communication. Although communication is commonplace within marital advice and has shown to be a great predictor of relationship success or struggle, many people are unaware of the skills needed to appropriately talk with their partner, especially when disagreement has occurred. So, instead of putting on your armor and preparing to go to battle next time you disagree with a significant other (or anyone really), consider this advice I learned in my class this week: First and foremost, stop assuming that your partner can read your mind. As much as the media portrays the "perfect relationship" as being between two partners who "just get each other" without having to talk things through, this doesn't happen in real life. People can be pretty dumb sometimes. While we may think that the subtle hints of what we want are enough for our partner to catch ...

 While I have enjoyed all of the topics discussed in my class so far, this week's lessons were very impactful for me. During our lectures the past few days, my class talked about stress, crises, and the implications of these factors within family life. In talking about stressful life events, I had an opportunity to reflect on my own family and some of the stressors we have faced and are currently facing. As a result, I gained some much-needed insight into my family's current stressors. Here is some of what I learned: One of the most important things I learned was what a crisis means within family life and the line between stress and distress. Looking at crisis first, it simply refers to a situation that requires change within a family. Although these events are typically very stressful, a crisis does not have to equal a long-term breakdown of a family. Adding to this idea, while stress is naturally occurring, especially in times of crisis, it does not always have to make us dis...

 In this week's lecture, my class discussed the differences between men's and women's experiences with sex. In particular, we focused on physical differences and similarities between men's and women's responses to and perceptions of sex. With this basis in mind, our discussion moved to talk about the potential challenges and benefits of these differences. In addition, we spoke about some solutions to these common hardships. Here is some of what we discussed, starting with biological differences and similarities: During the climax of the sexual response cycle, both men's and women's brains release the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin and dopamine are associated with mood stabilization and pleasure/feelings of reward. Based on their effects on the body, it is clear that these two neurotransmitters can have a lasting impact on individuals and couples alike. In addition to these two neurotransmitters, women release the "bonding hormone...

  Last week, I talked about the complicated nature of dating and how some current trends in romantic relationship patterns in today's dating culture aren't the most effective. This week, I was reminded of this fact again as I had a class discussion on wedding planning and engagements. And although I am not quite ready to make those steps in my life, I have seen some of the common trends that can frustrate wedding planning, engagements, and, eventually, marriages that play out in the lives of my peers. Here are some of my thoughts and what I learned this week: First, how we often discuss love can skew our understanding of relationships. For example, we commonly use terms like "falling in to love," "falling out of love," and "love is blind" to explain people's connections. As a result, we paint this false idea that love is out of control. This unrealistic idea of love can act as a pair of rose-tinted glasses, blocking us from the fact that lo...