Family Systems & Healthy Development
Family Systems and Healthy Development
Sheryl Threes
Liberty University
Family Systems and Healthy Development
Healthy development is generally understood as the progressive physical, emotional, cognitive and social maturation that takes place in a person’s life from conception onwards into adulthood. This process is further influenced by a continuous whirlwind of biological and environmental factors. Of the numerous environmental factors that an individual encounters over the course of the life span, it is clear to see family systems play a significant role and can be extremely impactful on the developmental process.
To gain a better understanding of the impact of family on healthy development, it is worthwhile to consider the various family structures that exist in our culture. The portrait of the family in today’s society is no longer rigidly defined by marriage, which is characterized by a two parent household with children; rather there are increasing numbers of single parents, teen parents, divorced parents and same-sex couple parents. “Sometimes we forget the great variety of forms, not only of the families living amongst us, but also those presented in scripture. There are single person families like Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus. There are families experiencing difficulties like Joseph and his brothers, or broken families seeking new life like Naomi and Ruth” (Way, 2003).
Of the various forms that the family structure can take, one consistent factor that is crucial for the facilitation of healthy development is family stability. Parental mental competence, stable-loving caregivers, positive or negative parenting are all factors that contribute to the establishment of the stability of the family unit. The home environment is arguably one of the most important facets of an individual’s childhood growth and development. When there is structure and stability children tend to thrive and are more
Sheryl Threes
Liberty University
Family Systems and Healthy Development
Healthy development is generally understood as the progressive physical, emotional, cognitive and social maturation that takes place in a person’s life from conception onwards into adulthood. This process is further influenced by a continuous whirlwind of biological and environmental factors. Of the numerous environmental factors that an individual encounters over the course of the life span, it is clear to see family systems play a significant role and can be extremely impactful on the developmental process.
To gain a better understanding of the impact of family on healthy development, it is worthwhile to consider the various family structures that exist in our culture. The portrait of the family in today’s society is no longer rigidly defined by marriage, which is characterized by a two parent household with children; rather there are increasing numbers of single parents, teen parents, divorced parents and same-sex couple parents. “Sometimes we forget the great variety of forms, not only of the families living amongst us, but also those presented in scripture. There are single person families like Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus. There are families experiencing difficulties like Joseph and his brothers, or broken families seeking new life like Naomi and Ruth” (Way, 2003).
Of the various forms that the family structure can take, one consistent factor that is crucial for the facilitation of healthy development is family stability. Parental mental competence, stable-loving caregivers, positive or negative parenting are all factors that contribute to the establishment of the stability of the family unit. The home environment is arguably one of the most important facets of an individual’s childhood growth and development. When there is structure and stability children tend to thrive and are more
References: Feldman, R. S. (2014). Development across the life span (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Malatras, J. W. and Israel, A. C. (2013), The Influence of Family Stability on Self-Control and Adjustment. J. Clin. Psychol., 69: 661–670. doi: 10.1002/jclp.21935. Sargent, C., & Harris, M. (1992). Gender ideology, childrearing, and child health in Jamaica. American Ethnologist, 19(3), 523-537. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/645199. Way, P. (2003). Family systems. The Clergy Journal, 80(1), 14-15. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230514795?accountid=12085.