FAMILY NOW - Supplies information and resources necessary to strengthen all families and provide the foundation for a safe, happy, healthy life and lifestyle for all individuals

Give yourself and your family permission to sit back, relax and enjoy without feelings of guilt.

Don't rely on expensive entertainment. Simple is better. Play board games, card games, or guessing games. Sing or do sports activities. Whatever you play be sure to include everyone.

Playing together creates family bonds and memories which will last forever.

Don't make play into work. Learn to select and control your activities.

Make working on family projects fun by laughing and playing.

Don't wait for free time to play. When opportunities come up to play, take advantage of them and also schedule time for play.

Involve children in planning activities

Remember there are no failures if laughter is involved. Don't be afraid to laugh with your family, however never ridicule family members.

You can find more information on parenting in the following books:

Parenting With Love and Logic, Foster Cline, M.D. & Jim Fay

Power of Positive Parenting, Glenn Latham

Reviving Ophelia, Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, Mary Pipher

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, Stephen R. Covey

So You Want to Raise a Boy, Cleon Skousen

Traits of a Healthy Family, Dolores Curran

What to Expect in the First Year, Arlene Eisenberg

What to Expect in the Toddler Years, Arlene Eisenberg

What's A Parent To Do, Becoming a Christlike Parent, Glenn Latham

When we think about rape we think about the attacker jumping out of the bushes, or the attack in the dark alley. But more than 80% of all rapes are committed by someone the victim knows. By a friend, a boyfriend, a co-worker, someone they think they can trust.

Date and acquaintance rape is about power, control, and betrayal. It's violent. It's a crime. And it's certainly not about love.

Sometimes it's easier to think sexual violence only happens to other people. However pretending it isn't a problem won't make it go away. We need to face our fears, become informed and teach our children respect for others in order for it to end.

Here are some things that may indicate you are in danger and also some ways to protect yourself.

- Demeans women

- Ignores your opinion or needs

- Tries to intimidate you physically

- Is mean or cruel to children or animals

- Uses alcohol or drugs and puts you down for refusing to do so

- Repeatedly tries to get you alone

- Know your own expectations and communicate them to someone who pushes the limits.

- Be aware that using drugs or alcohol lowers your ability to protect yourself.

- Decide what your values are and know your limits before you date.

- Don't let your date make all the decisions.

- Be prepared with your own money and transportation in case you need to leave.

- Avoid secluded or isolated places

- Don't go home with people you don't know well

The term domestic violence includes a variety of abusive behaviors or threats of abuse. It can be physical, sexual or psychological.

Physical: shoving, slapping, hitting, punching, kicking, choking, shaking, using weapons or objects that can cause harm, and restraining or threatening to harm you, your child, relative or friend.

Psychological: name calling, ridiculing, criticizing, manipulating, threatening, intimidating, accusing you of having an affair, or controlling you actions or friendships. (Psychological abuse is not a crime by itself. There must be threats of physical harm or actual physical/sexual abuse in order to obtain a protective order.)

Sexual: acting violently or physically harming you while having sex, forcing unwanted sex, forcing sex after a violent action, raping you, or using objects to cause harm during sex. Safe At Home, Utah Attorney General’s Office

Myth: Domestic violence only occurs in poor, urban areas.

Fact: Violence is the reason stated for divorce in 22% of middle-class marriages.

Myth: Domestic violence is a private family matter.

Fact: Domestic violence is a crime.

Myth: Battering is only a momentary loss of temper.

Fact: Though domestic violence is related to anger, studies indicate anger is not the cause of violence; rather, the violence is an attempt to control and dominate.

Did you know?

In Utah 2200 children need foster or shelter care, yet
There are only 900 foster homes...

Did you know?

Foster and shelter care parents receive...
20 hours of training
24 hour on-call support

Did you know?

Foster and shelter care parents can...
Choose which children they take into their homes
Help in ways other than 24-hour a day care for children by...
Driving them to appointments
Helping them in court
Supervising visits with birth parents

Did you know?

Foster parents are people just like you.
And YOU CAN DO IT too!

Helpful Television Viewing Hints For Parents

1.) Be as selective with your child's TV as you are with what he or she eats.

2.) Don't use TV as a babysitter.

3.) Plan the shows your family views in advance.

4.) Set aside a time for your family to watch programs together.

5.) Include children in family decisions about what you will watch together.

6.) Don't use TV as a reward or punishment.

Suggested Activities To Develop Critical Television Viewing In Children

1.) Ask your child to think of another title for the program or series you are watching.

2.) Read a description of the show before watching it. Have your child write a description of the program after viewing it.

3.) During a commercial break ask your child to predict what will happen next.

4.) Turn off the volume and ask your child to guess what is happening by watching the action.

5.) Ask your child to draw a picture describing his/her feelings about the program. Discuss the picture together.