Crises in Family Life

What would your reaction be?

Every family encounters some kind of crisis at some point or another, but each situation presents different outcomes. The way we react to these crises will determine what the outcome will be. Learning to be patient, loving, and sensitive to every situation is an important aspect to creating good outcomes. When we react fast and are upbrupt to our children or our spouse it can cause contention and disruptance in the family. But when we step back and think through the situation, not giving our first response, we can create a time of learning and growth for the family.

It is easy when something comes up to get frustrated or upset right away, but when that happens how do people usually react? They usually react with the same frustration and anger that you had or they might shut off from you, and ultimately it makes the crisis worse. Our teacher told a story of one of his sons who accidently shot an arrow in the eye or his other son who was 3 years old at the time. Brother Williams didn't know the situation because he wasn't there when it happened, but when he called home after work that day and asked his son where mom was he responed by saying at the hospital. The son explained what he had done and Brother Williams said he would have ripped at him, but something inside of him made him take a deep breath and asked the older son who shot the arrow how he was doing. By this simple response to this crisis Brother Williams was able to save a lot of heartache that could have been caused in this situation. Not only was the 3 year old son saved that day at the hospital but the older son was also saved. He knew what he had done was wrong but by punishing or yelling at him they may have lost him that day.

Every situation is different and it is important to rely on the Spirit to guide and direct you in how to handle these situations with peace and maturity. I know this is something I need to work on. Thinking about how I will someday react to misdeeds that my kids do or crisis that will happen in my future family, I hope I can react with peace and come away from those crisis strengthened with my husband and family.

In our book it talks about 5 effective coping mechanisms with crises:

1. Take responsibility - be mature about things

2. Reframing - look at the situation differently

3. Balance self-concern with other-concerns

4. Affirming your own and your family's worth

5. Find and use available resources

Some non-effective coping mechanisms:

1. Denial

2. Avoidance

3. Scapegoating

What will be your reaction to crises?!? If we prepare now and utilize it in the some crises/problems when the bigger ones come along it will be easier to react in an appropriate way.