Discussion Questions

  1. When you think about the word family? What comes to mind?
     
  2. A young couple ages 19 and 20 ask your opinion about getting married or waiting until they finish college What advice would you give them? Use information from your textbook to support your answer.
     
  3. A couple comes to you for advice.  They are in their late twenties and are getting a divorce.  Their children are 8, 4, and 11 months old.  They want to know how their children may react to the divorce now and long term.  What would you tell them? What advice would you give?
     
  4. Did you or someone you grew up with experience parental divorce? What were the challenges?
     
  5. What advice would you give a non-custodial parent?
     
  6. A friend of yours will soon become a step-parent.  What advice would you give your friend?
     
  7. Describe your family system.
     
  8. (Answer only if this applies to you.) Did your mother or father provide more childcare for you? Discuss your experience and relate it to content in the textbook.
     
  9. Did you spend much time unsupervised as a child?  What did you do when your caregiver was not around? How did this influence your development?
     
  10. Describe the differences in caregiving among fathers and mothers.  Does this describe your experience?
     
  11. Describe your relationship with your siblings.  Relate your answer to content in the textbook.
     
  12. For students with siblings, do you feel that you and your siblings were treated differently? If so, how?
     
  13. In what way did your parents (or caregiver/s) teach you socialization?
     
  14. What type of discipline do you think works best for children? Explain your answer.
     
  15. What interventions do you feel are needed to promote better family life?