Communication in Families

HEALTH EDUCATION (5) - Growing Up Healthy - Week 7/10

HPE Lesson Plans - Health - KHE, 1HE, 2HE, 3HE, 4HE, 5HE

Safety | Mental, Social & Emotional Health | Substance Abuse & Disease Prevention | Growing Up Healthy

5TH GRADE VIRTUAL HEALTH

L1: Your Digestive System| L2: Food - Nutrients for the Body | L3: MyPlate | L4: Influences on Your Food Choices | L5: Food Labels & Advertising | L6: Changing Families, Changing Roles| L7: Communication in Families | L8: Growth Comes in Stages | L9: Growth, Heredity, and the Endocrine System | L10: Dealing with Adolescence | EXTRA: Choices You Make Affect Growth

Growing UP Healthy

Communication in Families

See below for the following:

Standard(s), Essential Question(s), Big Idea(s)


LEARNING TARGET / SUCCESS CRITERIA

I will describe ways to communicate effectively with family members.

I will identify causes of conflicts in the family and ways to resolve them.

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PRE-INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITY

Vocabulary

communicate - sharing opinions, thoughts, and feelings with people and listening to their feelings and ideas / good communication helps people stay close on a daily basis and during difficult times


OPENING (Engage)

Main Idea

When members of a family communicate, they understand each other better and can stay close during times of change.

Why Learn This?

When you can communicate and resolve conflicts with family members, it shows that you are becoming more mature.


WORK PERIOD (Explore/Explain/Extend/Elaborate)

READ: Communication in Families


One of the best ways for family members to stay close is to communicate (kuh-Mvoo-nuh-kayt), or interact with each other. You communicate when you share opinions, thoughts, and feelings with members of your family and when you listen to their feelings and ideas. Good communication helps family members stay close on a daily basis and during difficult times.


What are some ways families communicate?

Because you and your family live together every day, year after year, it is important that you all get along. One of the best ways to get along well with family members is to communicate. Families who share their feelings find it easier to understand and support each other.


One way to communicate is to let your family know what you are feeling. Take time to tell family members when something exciting happens at school so they can be happy and celebrate with you. When you are sad or frustrated, let them know what is bothering you. Even if family members can't solve your problem, they can listen and let you know they care.


Good communication also involves showing you care for others. Let family members know you appreciate them or are proud of them for something they have said or done. Giving positive feedback spreads good feelings through the whole family. Be sure to listen when other family members communicate with you. When you listen carefully and respectfully, you've found another way to show you care.


Sometimes busy families have to work hard to find time to communicate. Mealtime can be a good time to talk about the day and to catch up on family news. Many families make dinner a time when everyone can be together and talk. Other families even make it a point to cook dinner together. Some families find that the time they spend driving to and from school, sports practice, or music lessons is a good time for conversation.


Remember that you don't always need words to communicate. Doing something special for a family member is a nice way to say you care, too. A hug or a smile can communicate feelings without using words.


Writing letters and notes is another way for family members to stay in touch. You may find it easier to write about feelings that are hard to say out loud. You can write a note to say you are sorry for something you said or did. You can also use notes to communicate with a parent or guardian who works late and doesn't get home until after you are in bed. At the end of the day, write a short letter telling about things that happened during the day and about your feelings. Ask your parent or guardian to write back with a note you can read when you wake up. Notes help family members communicate with each other even when they are not together.


Family members also communicate by planning activities to do together. Playing games, doing art activities and working together in the yard are all ways for families to spend time communicating. When family members take time to play and work together, their actions are saying,

"We enjoy each other, and we want to spend time with each other!"


What happens when conflicts arise in families?

When people live together day after day, conflicts are certain to arise. You and your parents or guardians may disagree about a family rule, such as your bedtime. You and your sister may have different opinions about which TV programs to watch. You may have a conflict with another family member about the volume of your radio or CD player. Conflicts can happen when a person doesn't feel heard or respected. Misunderstandings and poor communication also account for many conflicts between family members.


When family members don't learn how to solve problems together, small conflicts can easily grow into large ones. If conflicts go on for long periods of time, arguments and disagreements make it hard to live together. Before this happens, it's time for everyone in the family to work together to resolve the problem.


Disagreements arise when people have different points of view. Understanding the other person's point of view can help resolve conflicts. If you have a conflict with someone, listen carefully to that person's ideas. Ask questions to learn as much as you can about what the person is thinking and why. Listen quietly without interrupting to defend your point of view. Try to find out what is most important to the other person. As you listen, try to find something you and the other person can agree on. Work toward a common solution.

What would make both of you happy?


Compromising to reach a fair solution is a skill you will use throughout your life. Being able to compromise, or give in on some points, is part of being a mature person. Sometimes, however, reaching a solution that both people agree on is not possible. In those cases you may decide to take turns. Your sister may get to choose the TV program you watch tonight, and you will get to choose the next time.


Sometimes your parents or guardians will overrule a decision you make. You may want to walk across town to a friend's house. Your parents may say the distance is too far for you to walk alone. Accepting a decision you can't change shows you are becoming more mature.


Some families regularly set aside times to talk together and resolve small conflicts and disagreements before they become big conflicts. They post a sheet of paper on the refrigerator so all family members have a chance to list topics to talk about together. Making time for communication and problem solving helps to keep families happy and strong.


REMEMBER...When members of a family communicate, they understand each other better and can stay close during times of change. When you can communicate and resolve conflicts with family members, it shows that you are becoming more mature.


CLOSING (Evaluate)


Standard(s)

HE5.1a - recognize the relationship between healthy behaviors and disease prevention

HE5.1b - describe and apply the basic personal health concepts of healthy eating and physical activity

HE5.1c - describe and apply the basic health concept of mental and emotional well-being

HE5.1d - describe and apply the basic health concept of personal hygiene and safety

HE5.1e - distinguish the short and long-term physical effects of use and/or misuse of substances

HE5.1f - identify trusted adults and when it might be important to seek health care or emergency help for themselves or others

HE5.1g - identify the changes that occur during puberty

HE5.1h - distinguish between tattling, reporting aggression, bullying, cyberbullying, and violence (physical and/or sexual) and how to report these instances

HE5.1i - identify strategies to avoid physical fighting and violence

HE5.2a - evaluate the influence of family and peers on personal health behaviors and decisions

HE5.2b - describe how the school and community can support personal health practices and behaviors

HE5.2c - explain how media/technology influences thoughts, feelings, and health behaviors

HE5.3a - identify characteristics of valid health information, products, and services

HE5.3b - access resources from home, school, and community that provide valid health information

HE5.3c - assess the characteristics of valid health information, products, and services

HE5.4a - apply effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills to enhance health

HE5.4b - model effective nonviolent strategies to manage or resolve conflicts

HE5.4c - demonstrate how to ask for assistance to enhance personal health and the health of others

HE5.5a - identify health-related situations that might require a thoughtful decision

HE5.5b - list healthy options and possible consequences to a health-related issue or problem

HE5.5c - predict the potential outcomes of each option when making a health-related decision

HE5.5d - analyze when assistance is needed in making a health-related decision

HE5.5e - choose a healthy option when making a decision

HE5.5f - describe the outcomes of a health-related decision

HE5.6a - set a personal health goal and track progress toward its achievement

HE5.6b - identify and utilize resources to assist in achieving a personal health goal

HE5.7a - practice responsible personal health choices

HE5.7b - demonstrate a variety of healthy practices and behaviors to preserve or enhance personal health

HE5.7c - model a variety of behaviors that prevent or decrease health risks to self and/or others

HE5.8a - review accurate information and develop an opinion about a health issue

HE5.8b - advocate for positive health choices


Essential Question(s)


Big Idea(s)


RESOURCES / INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS


DCSD Board-Approved Instruction Materials


Technology