Skills for Families, Skills for Life

by Simpson, Amy

• ISBN13: 9781934490136
• ISBN10: 193449013X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-02-01
• Publisher: Father Flanagan Boys Home

Summary

Whether you work with families in a school, agency, clinic, shelter, or home setting, this guide can help you identify a family's goals, build on its strengths, as well as meet the needs each family sees as most important.

Author Biography

Amy Simpson is Site Director of Boys Town South Florida and PAULA KOHRT is a Senior Training Consultant in Boys Town's Training, Evaluation and Certification Department. All of the authors helped develop Boys Town's In-Home Family Services program, a leader in providing effective intervention for families in need since the late 1980s.

Table of Contents

Introduction
A Practitioner's Guide to Teaching Living Skills to Families	p. 1
The Importance of Skill Teaching	p. 7
How the Skills in This Book Are Organized	p. 13
Problem Areas
Communication	p. 19
Identifying Own Feelings
Active Listening
Expressing Feelings
Asking Others for Opinions
Apologizing
Being Assertive
Making a Request
Giving an Instruction
Stating Expectations
Saying "No"
Correcting Another Person
Responding to Accusations
Ending an Argument
Preparing for a Discussion
Negotiating
Writing a Contract
Holding Family Meetings
Showing Appreciation
Praising
Giving a Compliment
Relationships	p. 31
Strengthening the Relationship with Your Spouse
Seeking Marriage or Family Counseling
Improving Relationships with Your Children
Helping Siblings Get Along with Each Other
Helping Children Make New Friends
Education	p. 37
Checking on a Child's School Progress
Monitoring a Child's Homework
Using a Daily Assignment Book
Monitoring a Child's School Attendance
Getting Involved with a Child's School
Communicating with School Personnel
Visiting a Child's School
Cooperating with the School When a Child Breaks a Rule
Choosing an Education Program
Advocating for a Child's Education
Registering a Child for School
Hiring a Tutor
Enrolling in a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or Career Training Program
Housing	p. 47
Finding Housing
Signing a Lease
Getting Utility Services Started
Notifying Others of a Change of Address
Fulfilling a Lease or Rental Agreement
Using Temporary Housing
Handling Landlord Disputes
Being Prepared for a Landlord Foreclosure
Responding to a Landlord Foreclosure
Medical and Mental Health Needs	p. 55
Recognizing Medical Needs
Recognizing Mental Health Needs
Obtaining Medical or Mental Health Advice
Choosing a Medical or Mental Health Professional or Facility
Keeping Medical or Mental Health Appointments
Understanding Health Insurance or Medicaid Coverage
Keeping Children Healthy
Administering Medication
Keeping Track of Medications
Getting a Child Immunized
Money Management	p. 65
Prioritizing
Setting Up a Budget
Monthly Budgeting
Applying for a Job
Opening a Checking Account
Saving Money
Paying a Bill
Making a Late Payment
Paying Off a Debt
Shopping for Bargains
Accessing Public Assistance and Other Available Resources
Using a Food Pantry
Understanding and Using Credit Appropriately
Being a Wise Consumer
Child Supervision	p. 75
Monitoring a Child's Whereabouts (Older Children)
Pre-Approving a Child's Friends or Places to Go
Monitoring a Child's Activities (Younger Children)
Asking about a Child's Activities
Monitoring an Infant
Baby Proofing Your Home
Finding Child Care
Communicating with Your Child's Caregiver
Hiring a Babysitter
Transporting Children in a Car
Informal and Formal Support	p. 85
Making Friends
Establishing Relationship Boundaries
Deciding Who to Ask for Help
Offering Help
Developing a Social Support Network
Setting Up Exchange Systems
Getting Involved in Community Activities
Finding a Support Group
Nutrition	p. 93
Creating a Balanced Menu
Planning Ahead for Meals
Choosing Appropriate Foods for Babies and Toddlers
Shopping for Groceries
Preparing a Meal
Storing Food
Washing Dishes
Preventing Abuse	p. 99
Understanding and Avoiding Physical Abuse of Children
Understanding and Avoiding Emotional Abuse of Children
Teaching Children about Appropriate Touch
Setting Boundaries
Monitoring Children in the Presence of a Potential Perpetrator
Locating Registered Sex Offenders
Asking Children about Personal Safety
Responding to a Child's Disclosure about Abuse
Reporting Abuse
Seeking Support When Dealing with Abuse
Establishing a Safety Plan
Understanding Domestic Violence
Responding to Domestic Violence
Managing Stress	p. 111
Managing Time
Recognizing Stressors
Engaging in Self-Care Activities
Choosing Relaxation Techniques
Getting Physically Active
Taking a Time-Out
Using Positive Self-Talk
Using Body Relaxation Techniques
Keeping a Journal
Asking for Help
Rewarding Yourself
Home Safety	p. 119
Creating a Safer Home for Children
Setting a Schedule for Household Chores
Cleaning House
Doing Laundry
Attending to Children's Personal Hygiene
Checking for Head Lice
Planning Fire Escape Routes
Community Safety	p. 127
Increasing Family Safety outside the Home
Monitoring? Children's Friends and Activities
Finding Community Safety Resources
Creating a Family Safety Plan
Protecting against Safety Threats via the Internet and Cell Phones
Resources
Finding Resources for Families	p. 135
Skills-at-a-Glance Table	p. 149
Bibliography	p. 155
Index	p. 157
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.