Characteristics of
Functional Families
Commitment
Each person cares
for and is invested
in the well-being of
the others
 They show this
through respect,
support, and
consideration

http://www.onefamilyfund.org/Portals/0/WWA_Pics/About_OF/ThankYou/652/Aziz%20family.jpg
Functional Family Activities
 Take
out a few pieces of notebook
paper
 Label at the top “Functional Family
Activities”
Commitment Activity

Write a paragraph on the following topic:
– Who in your family do you feel closest to and
cares the most about you?
– What makes you feel that way (be specific)?

Write a 2nd paragraph on the following
topic:
– Who in your family do you feel the least close
to?
– What could you do to improve that
relationship?
Spend Time Together
Make spending
time with each
other a priority –
even schedule time
 Do things together
that you all find
fun.
 Examples: Game
Night, Hiking,
Shopping, Cleaning
the House, etc.

http://www.bradleystoke.gov.uk/fireworks-2006/images/postcards/Family-Fun.jpg
Spending Time Together Activity
 List
12 activities that you think your
family would enjoy doing together
(these can be whole family activities,
or things you would do with just 1 or
2 family members)
 share top 3 ideas with your table
Communication
Sharing what you
think and feel
 Being considerate
of others thoughts
and feelings
 When there is
respect family
members can
disagree without
feeling hurt or put
down

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/jlv/lowres/jlvn423l.jpg
Communication Activity
 Think
about the 1 or 2 things in your
life that are the most stressful right
now.
 Share your answer with a partner.
 Answer the following questions on
your notebook paper
– How well did your partner listen to you?
– How did that make you feel?
Appreciation
Thanking each
other
 Showing affection

http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/93/40/23464093.jpg
Appreciation Activity
 list
each member of your family,
 for each family member write 5
specific things you could do to show
them that you love them, and are
grateful for them.
Shared Beliefs
Shared beliefs and
values are the
foundation of
strong families
 They reflect what
is important to the
family members
 They base
decisions on these
beliefs.

http://www.freekareem.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/protest2.JPG
Shared Beliefs Activity
 describe
the 5 most important values
or beliefs you have learned from
your family.
 What, if any, values do you want to
teach your kids that you didn’t learn
from your parents?
Coping Skills
How they handle
problems
 Being willing to
admit when you
have problems
 Being able to
identify the
problem
 Communication

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/images/tttInterruption.jpg
Coping Skills Activity
 Describe
a crisis that your family has
gone through?
 How did your family react?
 On a scale from 1-10 (1 being really
badly and 10 being perfectly) how
well do you think your family coped
with the situation?
 Looking back now, what could have
made the situation better?