Adjustments

This week in class my ears were definitely open. We were talking about the different adjustments that have to be made with marriage and when children are born. We talked for a while specifically about adjustments in the first few months of marriage. This pertained to me especially because last weekend I got engaged. I'm excited to get married but I have to admit class made me a bit nervous for the transitions. Especially because I am pretty particular about how I do things and my expectations of others as well. I think the hardest part will just be learning to live with another person and adjusting to their schedule, the things they like, need, and want. Also, finances and budgeting can be difficult as well. I've tried budgeting my whole life but I still suck at it. I have a lot of preparing to do to make this easier that's for sure!

The three Ps

This week something that stood out to me was how the three Ps of dating relate to the three Ps of marriage in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. The three Ps of dating are planned, paid for and paired off. These three things can help you to know if a guy is going to be able to provide and be the kind of husband you want him to be later. The three Ps in the proclamation are provide, preside, and protect. A young man who has learned in dating how to plan will better be able to preside over a family later on. That doesn't mean he makes all the decisions or is in control, but he has learned how to council and make decisions with others according to their needs and likes. The second of the three Ps in dating is paid for. This can show you whether or not he will be able to provide later on. That doesn't mean every date has to be expensive or even cost anything. It does mean though that he is willing to give financially and makes an effort to provide when necessary. The last P is paired off. When a couple is paired off the young man suddenly has to watch over and protect that girl. He doesn't necessarily need to worry about everyone else in the group but he does need to take care of his date. It shows his willingness to commit and watch over. I thought this was so interesting. The church leaders really are preparing us for our futures from a young age. We often just don't see it.

Week four

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A few things really stuck out to me in class this week. We talked about homosexuality which can be really controversial but for me it just helped me be more understanding of other’s feelings and thoughts. It also helped me know how to be a better parent. We talked a little about raising children according to their gender and being understanding of their needs as a child. We were told of an experience where some parents were really concerned that their little boy was playing with Barbies and thought he might end up gay. They went to a therapist wondering what they could do for him. The father was encouraged to play Barbies with his son but allow the boy to be Ken and he be Barbie. It would allow them to spend time together and for the dad to be an example that the boy could emulate with his Ken doll. The little grew up to be an amazing young man and he and his father had an extremely close relationship. He also ended up not being gay. They realized that what he played with didn’t determine who he was. He was influenced by the love and examples of his parents. So often we get carried away in the things that don’t really matter and forget the ones that do.