Chapter 11 Parent Letter and Activities

Chapter 11: Family Relationships

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Over the last fifty years, the structure of the American family has changed dramatically.
Statistics, such as the increase in single-parent households and the rise in the average age of
first marriages, reflect this continued evolution. The family, however, remains the basic unit of
society and one of the most important aspects of a person’s life. In this chapter, we will study
the structure of the family and how it affects the physical, mental/emotional, and social health
of its members.

Your teen will explore the following topics in this chapter:

The Role of the Family.

Change and the Family.

Dealing with Family Crises.

Community Support Systems.

Please reinforce our classroom work by discussing with your son or daughter one or more
of the following topics: Encourage your teen to interview family members from different generations about the role of the family in his or her life. Discuss any similarities and differences in the responses of the different generations. If possible, encourage your teen to have a conversation with someone who was a family member during the Great Depression. Consider watching one or two popular television shows with your teen and discussing how the shows portray families. Ask your teen to describe some everyday ways in which family members can encourage and support one another.

I hope these activities prove helpful in supplementing the activities and reading contained
in this chapter. Thank you for supporting our classroom work. Feel free to contact me if you
wish to discuss your teen’s health education.

Sincerely,

Health Teacher