Blog #8

Psychology Today recently wrote an article called The Fundamentals of Family Dynamics in regard to the ways families function from one culture to another. They talk about the stereotypical family aspects and who is who. The rates of depression in children tend to be much lower for those kids who have           good and healthy relationships with their immediate family members. They also discuss the relativity of so many other factors. These include birth order of the children, if there are only children, who the family has problems with or who they are closest with. These all go into raising the children and factors into who they will become. In the nature vs nurture debate, these factors will all be on the side of nurture as the definition of nurture says that nurturing is the way people are raised, and treated growing up affects the ways that they act as an adult. These have to do with a happy family, who are financially stable, and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. 

I believe that my family has so many positive family dynamics and this article articulated so many things I did not even know I was so blessed to have. I was raised by my two parents, who have been dating since they were 16 years old. I was raised with a younger sister who is only 18 months younger than me and she has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. My parents are a nurse and a firefighter, and have had these jobs since before I was born which offers them more time than typical parents to be around with my sister and I, and they are able to fully support our family, while at the same time teaching my sister and I the importance of working hard and earning our own money. 

The most important family dynamic I believe in, personally, is quality time. This is where families are able to learn about each other, support each other, and bond over mutually enjoyable activities. These are what promote happy and healthier children, is happy and healthy relationships with their parents. Though some families seem to function in other ways or some children who still suffer from depression even though they have loving and supportive families. Everybody goes through things so differently, and even in the “best situation” you can still go through your own struggles.  (Word count: 404)