Understanding Family Dynamics and Theories
A theory is an explanation of something. Family systems theory looks at the family as a whole and their relationships with each other. Each family has a different set of "rules," the invisible background to their lives. In my family, some of these unspoken rules included eating dinner together, going to bed each night with a clean kitchen, and dad does the dishes. Every family has its own set of unspoken rules that they live by. That's why when a child grows up and moves out, it's often hard for them to adjust to living with different people. The mix of different family backgrounds is hard to get used to, and the new division of household chores is usually different from what each person is used to. When a person gets married, there's a whole new set of unspoken rules that gets set up. Usually it's a mix between the husband and wife's family of origin and new things the couple decided together.
When one thing in a system changes, the other parts of the system are affected. for example, there are probably systems in the room you're sitting in right now. In schools and industrial buildings there's a sprinkler system that is set off by a series of other events, all interconnected. Just as the events prior to the sprinklers going off, family systems are influenced by series of events. When a child leaves the home, the rest of the family is affected. When the child comes home to visit, the family has to readjust. When one person in the family is sick, the rest of the family is affected. Each person is of value. Each person is loved and needed by the rest of the family even if it doesn't always seem that way.
