Single Parent, Step & Blended Families PEP 143N

Instructor Information: Instructor: Candyce Bollinger Location: Building 20, Room 100 Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 12:00-1:00 pm Phone Number: 596-5434 Email: cbollinger@spscc.ctc.edu
Or the Education Program Office: Phone #: (360) 596-5293 Email: sschein@spscc.ctc.edu

Course Information: Single Parent, Step and Blended Families: Texts/Lab Materials/Library Sources: (if any): none Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to: a. Identify types of single parent and remarried families b. Recognize the family system dynamics present in single parent and remarried families. c. Demonstrate skills for developing emotional rapport with a child in a step or blended family. d. Demonstrate four approaches to building a healthy step family. Course Description: This course consists of lectures, discussion, in class activities, and assignments on the topics of: a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. l. m. n. Expectations about family from ones family-of-origin Power and boundaries Enmeshment and differentiation Statistical information in single parent and blended families Effects of single parenting on the child and parent Strengths of children in single parent families Unique characteristics of single parenting Suggestions for healthy single parenting Types of remarriage families Effects of remarriage on children and parents Unique characteristics of remarried families Developing emotional rapport with children Eight steps towards a healthy step family. Family systems theory applications to the changing family PEP 143N 2 credits Thursday, 6:30 8:20 pm, Room 100

Course Policies: Grade is based on a point system: 50% - participation in classroom activities 50% - homework assignments 100 point maximum: 93-100 87-89 98-89 83-86 90-82 A AB+ B B77-79 73-76 70-72 63-66 60-62 C+ C CD D-

Expectations of Students: -Listen well and help each other problem solve. -Avoid judging or giving unsolicited advice. -Be persistent in getting what you need from class. Attendance Policy: -Class starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 8:20 pm. There will be a 10 minutes break from 7:30 - 7:40 p.m. Attendance is important. There will be information from lectures an exercises which are not in the written materials. -Students are responsible for finding out about missed sessions from another students or from the instructor at a time which does not disrupt class. -Students who fail to attend the first class session and do not contact the instructor in advance will be withdrawn from the class. Students receiving financial aid should ALWAYS check with financial aid prior to withdrawing, signing and incomplete contract, changing to an audit, or receiving an F or V grade in a class.