ECSE 421 Week 4

As we learned more about families this week we discussed open systems and closed system families. Open system families have information constantly flowing in and out of their home. They are open with other families about things going on in their lives and don’t mind that everyone knows their family matters. A closed family is the opposite. They are very private with information going on in their family and don’t want a lot of help. Working with both open and close system families can be a challenge because one (open) is always looking for a fix, while the other (closed) has a hard time accepting help for their child.

The greatest resource for me this week was how Sister Swenson taught us about the Crisis Cycle. As I read about the crisis cycle it didn’t make complete sense how the stages worked and how a child can flip back and forth between stages. She really explained how to prevent going into escalate mode and waiting until they are ready to problem solve before we make the next move as caregivers.

I am well prepared to understand open and close ended families, I do think it will take practice in sensitivity to know how to approach each situation with skill and tact. I also feel helping children learn the crisis cycle will take a lot of practice so I know how I can keep from triggering escalation.

My peers learned this information and retained it really well. They applied what we were learning to their families and asked questions about how to apply the crisis cycle in different scenarios. I helped by being a part of the discussion and also discussion outside of class with my classmates about what we had learned. It helped us retain it and continue to apply it.

“All children have basic needs for acceptance, appreciation, and love. Exchanging unconditional love is an essential ingredient of family affection…” –Families, Professionals, and Exceptionalities p. 57