In our discussions, we've identified that meaningful relationships can offer us a variety of supports, guidance and resources, validation for our identities, companionship and contribute to the myriad of outcomes of who we are and what we achieve (e.g., adjustment, life success, choices on living in a society). And parent-child relationships, of course, are two-way streets. There are two players, and both child and parent are influenced by the relationship. And as living things, they take place and can change over time.
Given that, what does our wordcloud suggest about the parent-child relationship as a context for human development?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTo me, our word cloud suggests that a relationship doesn't have to always be peaceable and perfect to be meaningful. We all find meaning in relationships that challenge us a bit- make us question our values and priorities, stand up for them, or change them. Close is certainly the "most popular" word, which I think means that this is the most important component to have in a relationship in order to consider it meaningful. Even if we don't agree on everything with someone, it doesn't mean we can't be close to them. Loving seemed to be the second most popular word to me, which I think falls under the same category as close. More specifically, I think those who chose this word meant UNCONDITIONAL love. To know you will be loved by someone even when you feel like you've failed them, disappointed them, or done something wrong (especially in a parent-child relationship), is essential to have trust. Finally, complicated means a lot in a parent-child contest. It means that as children and as parents, humans play multiple roles with each other, that are always shifting and changing. I believe that is why these types of relationships can be so complicated- as children, we go from relying on our parents for one hundred percent of everything, and slowly become more and more independent, until we leave their care, develop a more "friend-like" adult relationship with them, and many years later it becomes our responsibility to take care of them. This complexity is unavoidable, but certainly necessary.
ReplyDeletePersonally, this word cloud was comforting. I've always thought that I was the only one who had an unconventional relationship with a parent. This graphic suggests that these relationships can be loving and close, but they can be complicated at the same time. There are two players in this game and each has to take their own turn. In my experiences, these relationships are fluid. Ever changing. As an example, my mom and I just got into an argument last week about something trivial and I was annoyed and frustrated and we ended up not talking for a few days. However, when I had a health complication a few days later and was sitting in the ER, the first person I wanted to talk to and be with was my mom. She never mentioned the fight, and was only concerned about me and my health. I know that these relationships ebb and flow, and its comforting to see that from my peers perspective it appears that way too.
ReplyDeleteWhile looking over this assortment of words I began to think about the definition of family and how difficult it is to pinpoint a perfect definition that fits with every family. This word cloud is a perfect example of how different all families are and how one definition of family isn't realistic. I believe we, as a society, need to stop focusing on what qualifies as a family and what doesn't and more so on how we can support all different kinds of families. Another thought that crossed my mind is how many different meanings of the words in this cloud can have. For example, "complicated" for one person may mean they are fighting with their parent and things in this moment right now are a little off. For another person, "complicated" may mean they haven't been on good terms with their parent for a while now and things don't seem to be improving. So while we all share similar words that describe our relationships with our parents, it's also important to understand that these words can have very different meanings to people. Which brings me back to my first point on how families and relationships are so different depending on the person. Family is complex and shouldn't have to be put into a little box. The beautiful thing about family is how different and diverse it is and how it is ever-changing.
ReplyDeleteI had chosen the word loving to describe the relationship between my parents and I although it can be complicated at times too. Looking at the cloud I can relate to a lot of the words on there but at the same time you can definetly tell that No family is perfect and every family is different, but if we are talking about the relationships between a parent and child and human development that is where I think it gets even more complicated. For example my parents are from countries in central america where their way of raising children, relationships, customs and values are very different than those here. I know my parents love me but growing up in the United States I know there were times and there still are times that my parents do not completely understand me. Going further into detail, there were times when I wanted to go to sleepovers and my parents did not understand the point of a sleep over, nobody did that where they were from. However now that they are a little more mainstream my younger sisters go on an occasional sleep over. Human Development within parent-child relationships really depends on the societies that they are accustomed to or learn to be apart of, this really shapes structures, relationships and growth with in families.
ReplyDeleteThis word cloud surprised me, I think I assume that everyone has a positive relationship with their parents like I do. It is good that I see this and have my eyes opened. It is interesting to think about why these answers are all so different- parenting styles, culture, socioeconomic factors perhaps. As we discussed in class and in our readings, parents can feel that every decision they make will affect their child's future. The same can be said for their relationship with their child. Parents need to find the balance of what to share with their children and how close to let them into their lives. This appropriate balance is different for each parent child relationship, which accounts for our differences in answers. Some of us answered close, while someone else answered one-sided. It can be difficult if the child wants to be more open with the relationship, but the parent is being closed off. This could be contributed to their parenting style or personality, both of these relationships could represent unconditional love. And all of these relationships could have all of these words within them at different points of the relationship. Relationships are always evolving and changing because of our actions.
ReplyDeleteObviously, the 3 most used words in this cloud are "Loving", "Close", and "Complicated". If I remember correctly, I used the word "loving". Thinking back, I remember having difficulty putting an entire relationship into one word. I had to choose whether to use a positive word, like 'loving', or a more negative word, like 'complicated'. I'm happy to see that other people used a negative word because it's true and honest. I don't think any parent-child relationship is 100% perfect or 100% terrible - it's a mix of both. And while it may feel more difficult to admit to the hardships of a relationship with a parent, it is better to recognize that that's there, rather than only acknowledge the happy parts. There are many, many differences between a parent and a child: age, roles, responsibilities, life experiences, life knowledge, capabilities, etc. Because of all these differences, it's only natural that the relationship be a bit complicated. I think it is wonderful if many people have close and loving relationships with their parents, but I also really appreciate the honesty from those who said 'complicated'.
ReplyDeleteThis graphic tells us that there are a variety of perspectives of parent-child relationships within our class. Each family lives a different life than the next, and within each family are individuals with unique relationships and strengths. Each person has a different perspective on the relationships in their life. Some are complicated, tricky, and one-sided, and some are easy-going, supportive and stable. Moving forward with that, our word cloud suggests that the context of parent-child relationships for human development is always changing. I’m sure at some point in all of our relationships we have felt love and closeness and also respect and difficulty. Humans develop and evolve and over time, our relationships change, too. This word cloud shows that relations between the parent and child are complicated and diverse.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of Human Development, our world cloud that my peers and I created is mainly reflective on the flexibility of the ebb and flow with how children reflect on the relationship that he or she has with the parent. I believe that there is always a foundation of unconditional love between a child and a parent or guardian but depending on where the child may be in the stages of development that we talk about during class today. Although age has a big influence on where the child is in his or her stage of development and therefore his or her relationship with the parent, but factors like traumatic events, family crisis, and other unavoidable family tragedies. Similarly, sometimes when a traumatic event / crisis happens, a parent may "regress" back into the early stages of development to cope. This could present a challenge to the child if he or she is still going through the perceived "stages of human development" by various psychologists. But this only explains the ebb and flow of different feeling that others have in regards to their parents. I believe that the word "constant" reflects the consistent unconditional love that exists in a parent and child relationship; and personally I do not think that the word "complicated" is a bad thing. In today's society, it has a negative connotation but I believe that for the human development aspect, the way that it changes can be complicated and confusing. I attributed the word "supportive" because lately, she has been extra supportive of me double majoring in Nursing and Family Social Science and all my concerns that I have with declaring a 2nd major while I am simultaneously supporting her with moving into her and my dad's new home, their first home that they are moving to as "empty nesters" and how hard that must be. I would easily say that my relationship with my parents is complicated, my mom is sick and my mother and father both handle it in different ways. My mom and I's relationship has been labeled my therapists as a "red flag" and telling my mom that she needs to create boundaries; my mom and I enjoy our relationship how it is and find the best support from each other this way. Therefore, our relationship is "supportive" but I would also label is as complicated if I was perceiving it from a different lens, like how she decided to wear a fanny pack to purposefully embarrass me in front of my boyfriend, when I already had a fanny pack on. There's nothing wrong with my mother and I's relationship, it's perfect for us to get what we need from one other, but if someone asked me to describe it in one word, I would pick complicated.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about the graphic that sticks in my mind is the fact that people were honest and there are conflicting words on the graphic. Words like close and disgusted can be here at the same time due to the fact that there are two people in the relationship, both living lives that can make things difficult. It is possible to at one moment to be close and the next to despise each other. This is a very hard reality to face when thinking about how you view your parents. Most people would not want to despise their parents, but its the way both people live their lives that brings people to how they feel. If one person or the other does something against the others beliefs or values, it is possible to have harsh feelings arise. It is nearly impossible in my eyes to have one word describe how parents and children interact. I think it would be nice to have this graphic only have one big, bold word. LOVE, but this isn't the reality. Just like any relationship, feelings are going to fluctuate. Most people will feel a mix of those word posted up above, but it will never be one constant word.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I certainly felt comforted when I saw the word cloud initially. I am one of those people who does not have a particularly positive relationship with my parents, and I remember choosing the word "difficult". When I saw that there were other negative words, that was validating to see that I was not the only one in the class who had had a negative experience with their parents.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, viewing the three largest words, "close", "loving", and "complicated", in terms of human development it made me think of attachment theory. Parents are supposed to help develop a safe, loving environment in which secure attachments can form and children have a solid foundation from which they can "jump off" and explore. Most people have a secure attachment style, and it often characterizes a loving and close relationship with their parents. This shows in the prominence of some words over others in the word cloud. The rest of the word cloud shows the variety and complexity of human attachments to their first important relationships. Insecure, or downright negative and unhealthy attachments happen as well, which can stem from a variety of developmental and situational circumstances. Complicated describes parental relationships and attachment particularly well.
I found it awesome that one of the biggest words in the cloud picture was "close." It inspires me to continue in my major with family social science because it makes me feel that it is possible for many people to build strong and loving relationships. At the same time another common word was "complicated" which still continues to inspire me to continue this major. I find it interesting that that was a popular word because when students chose that word I would assume the majority of them had a specific situation they were thinking about. While no one had the same situation they still found the same words to describe how their relationships with their parents were. I never had a chance to fill out the survey but if I did it would have been loving or caring. My relationship with my mom especially was different than most of my friends. I communicated with her about anything and everything going on in my life and if something exciting or bad happened she was the first person I ran to.
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to me when I learned that the most common words for the class were close, loving, and complicated. I believe that love is the most important part of a parent child relationship. Love creates a strong bond between the parent and the child and brings them closer to each other, which is why close also came up. Thinking about my relationship with my parents when I was growing up, I had a very close bond with them. Also, I believe that a relationship has to be complicated in order for it to be successful. There were times in my own life that my relationship with my parents was good, but there were also times when it was very difficult. My parents, especially my dad are extremely different from me in some ways. Because of this, we don't always see eye to eye. Even though we are different, we work together and overcome these challenges and it creates meaning and closeness. Complicated relationships can be a good thing that help people grow together. The words close, loving, and complicated are all essential to human development.
ReplyDeleteFrom looking at the image, I can definitely say that we all have our own take away with relationships. We each see them in different ways, but it is comforting knowing that so many people find positive experience from relationships. Not everyone can say that. Plus, I know I'm different because when I thought of a close relationship,I thought actually of my best friend who has been around for the last 18 years of my life. I can say we've literally been through just everything, good and bad. But then when think about my mom, I can say we've been through thick and thin as well, and we share a bond. (Probably also I'm the youngest and the only boy with two sisters.) Based on the world cloud and thinking on development, we all go through stages. Sometimes we start with "healthy," and it goes deeper with "stable" and "supportive." Then that turns into a constant and you really then feel the love. But we all experience this differently, whether it's with different people or just different periods in time. But that's a beautiful thing and what makes us human.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the Word Cloud reinforced the many facets that describe relationships. I could easily relate to each of the words to some extent. Any one of them could conjure a memory with intimate detail. We begin to figure stuff out through our most basic of relationships, the family. As a child growing up I was the oldest, with 6 younger siblings. I have 1 sister. My wife is a twin, has 6 siblings, and 1 brother. I grew up in the city and she grew up on a farm. Both of my parents are living, while my wife lost her mother to cancer in 2002. Both of us can recall sibling rivalries, or times when our parents were cross with us. We each had specific chores to do, and consequences if they were not done on time. Our childhoods were relatively normal if you grew up in the 60's and 70's. The relationships and experiences we had growing up were very different, yet I suspect if I had my wife add a word to the cloud, it would be one already mentioned.
ReplyDeleteThe graphic for me represents the differing experiences that we have in our relationships with our parents, and how that can shape the way that we, in turn, parent our own children (should we choose to have any), or how we interact with families going forward into our careers. I know that my overwhelmingly difficult relationship with both my parents has shaped the way that I view my role as a mother. I am very intentional about the way I interact with my son and I try to view his behavior as a way of communicating his needs to me (in the only way he knows how to) as opposed to him "being bad." If I shift my way of thinking, then I am able to step into the role of mother and guide him through difficult emotions and help him find ways to express anger, sadness, fear, etc. in a way that is healthy. I also found that the words in the word cloud that echoed an experience similar to mine made me feel less alone. It can be really hard to be the only one in a group who hasn't had a positive experience with my childhood, so I felt validated and comforted by that fact.
ReplyDeleteLooking at this word cloud shows how different of an experience we can each have with our parents. This connection can even change and reshape itself over the life course, or during time periods of stress/ease. For example, my description of the relationship between my parents and I now is not the same as I would have said at 16. However, we all also have varying parental relationships due to circumstance, context, cultural norms, age, etc. I think the word cloud displays that, although some relationships may seem more favorable than others, depending on what each person values in a relationship, there is no one right answer to how a parent-child relationship should function.
ReplyDeleteGiven that our word cloud had words like loving and close appear frequently, it shows that parent-child relationships are fundamental parts of our emotional wellness. They provide us with love, connection, and bonding. All of which help foster our human development by being there for us in all our struggles and triumphs in life. Yet, the parent-child relationship is nuanced in a way that makes it entirely different from all other relationships. The word complicated showed up frequently as well, which illustrates that these relationships can be difficult at times. Two generations don't often see eye-to-eye on issues all the time, but having conversations around differing opinions is vital to expanding your mind and growing intellectually.
ReplyDeleteIt's very interesting what the words in the word cloud say. I am not surprised because those are the words that I would use to describe my family too. However, I have learned over the years that all families are very different. There are some words that talk about families being more distant than close. I think that I would have expected more of a mix of different types of families.
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised by our word cloud. In fact, I want to bring up the fact that not all parent-child relationships can be described as close, loving and complicated. I am also inspired to pursue a field in family and marriage therapy upon graduation because I want to support others in creating loving and supportive family relationships. I believe the parent-child relationships are one of the most important relationships that one can have.I have definitely been influenced by my personal parent-child relationship and I am who I am because of that relationship. This word cloud also brings a lot of comfort to me because lately my relationship with my mother has been complicated, and that's okay! Parent-child relationships are a journey, a journey of love, grief and understanding. Parent-child relationships also change throughout the span of human development, parents and children are not the same people over a span of years and we need to be prepared to support parent's and children throughout their lifetime.
ReplyDelete