¶ … families today: Time management and the absence of free time
One of the most challenging issues facing modern families is the lack of time both parents and children have for leisure-based activities. Two-career households are increasingly common and parents are challenged with the need to balance longer work hours with their desire to spend quality time with their children. There is also often friction between the need to balance housework and work obligations between husbands and wives. It is estimated that only 19% of husbands perform housework on a daily basis, compared with 49% of wives. Regarding dinner preparation, 43% of men prepare food or clean while 68% of women do so (Sifferlin 2014).
Children are far more likely to engage in scheduled activities than in the past. These pursuits require a greater time commitment on parents to take them from place to place. There is little ability for children to explore the world independently in a free and unstructured manner: even children have tight schedules. As one father said: "My wife and I work, so we don't have the luxury of supervising our daughters' free time around the clock. These activities, while sometimes costly, give...
Thus, because of the new structure of family life and the expectations placed both upon children and on parents, both have less time for one another and children have less personal time to determine their own interests and passions. There is also less time for quality bonding not spent in a car while children are ferried from one activity to the next.
A recent study of teachers found that more than half were under the impression that "children spent a lot less time with their families than they did 20 years ago" (Sellgren 2014). In terms of the reasons for this, "the vast majority (94%) said the main reason for this is parents working, while 92% blamed the use of technology" (Sellgren 2014). However, the latter two issue go hand-in-hand, given that the presence of technology has made 'connecting' with the office far easier for parents and technology offers a safe babysitter, allowing children to be occupied by a screen while they can be safely supervised. Smartphones and iPads seem like useful ways to multitask and get things done while still taking care of business or amusing children but…
Family Life Education Consider NCFR Substance Area # 8 - FAMILY LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY and Substance Area # 9 -- ETHICS. Compare and contrast these areas with particular focus on how they might conflict with teach other. According to the National Council on Family Relations, Area Number Eight, Family Law and Public Policy refers to a comprehension of the legal factors, policies and pieces of legislation which can influence the well-being
In a study conducted in rural China, where an emerging trend for leaving home in adolescence is challenging the environment an, Mertig & Liu discuss their findings: In summary, we found that (1) a person's tendency toward individualism is primarily impacted by his/her parents and perceived resource availability, with little impact from peers. This is somewhat inconsistent with findings in Western countries. (2) a person's attitudes towards leaving the parental
A family life cycle is a study tool that helps the family counselors better plan the interventions and counseling to eliminate intricacies that might become the reasons for their illnesses in the future. This paper aims to explain the elucidating family life cycle stages and the transition from one phase to another so that the biological and behavioral linkages help understand the healthy development of the family.The knowledge of the
Post Deployment on Family Life It is stated in a Defense Watch document entitled "Post-Deployment Stressful for Many Veterans" that deployments are not only stressful for members of the armed forces but as well deployments are "also very stressful on the families who've had to create a daily routine without their deployed soldier." (Defense Watch, 2010) The spouse of the individual deployed naturally must take on many more responsibilities in
Family & Sociology of Marriage The purpose and social function of marriage has changed. While marriage was once a binding declaration of commitment and love to another person of the opposite gender, avowed and proclaimed in a holy ceremony, today marriage has become a catch all; a legally binding contract between two people who, for any reason, can choose to end the marriage without stigma or difficulty. Today, half of marriages
As one commentator notes; "What this adds up to is, in my view, a significant shift in the balance of work and family life. Roles are changing, the nature of care is changing, and the stress related to juggling the balance is increasing (Edgar, 1997, p. 149) A number of statistics also help to outline the nature of the family structure in a developed economy like Australia. In terms of