Extension Report

Baldwin County Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-0860/943-5611 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Susan Wingard

County Extension Coordinator

September 1, 2009

Stress associated with job loss and the many other challenges stemming from this economic downturn can spill over into family relationships.  The American Psychological Association reported in 2007 that money and work were the top sources of stress for almost 75 percent of Americans. 

Children often sense their parents’ behaviors and may act out in frustration in one of several ways: mimicking their parents’ stress, reacting to the stress in their own unique ways or simply withdrawing from their parents.  For parents, the first step should involve communicating openly with and actively listening to their children.  Experts offer the following suggestions:

-Treat your children and other family members with respect as you resolve conflict.  Be honest with yourself as well as others.  You may deserve at least part of the blame for this conflict.  Demonstrate your willingness to change.

-Face up to your problems.  Don’t hesitate to discuss the conflict with other family members.  Stay calm and offer constructive solutions.

-Focus clearly on the problems, especially the behaviors and other factors associated with them.  Don’t play the blame game.  Deal with the challenge as a problem rather than as a battle that involves settling scores and assigning blame.  Help every family member understand the feelings of others while the solutions are being worked out.

-Express things in “I” messages, which can help you gain a better understanding of how you feel.  An example:  “I feel frustration when there is not enough money to pay bills.”

-Communicate with a clear understanding of goals.  Help each family member, especially the children, see the problem clearly.  Restate as clearly as possible everything that was discussed.

-Identify one or more workable solutions, carefully weighing the consequences of each.  Do not be judgmental of others’ ideas. 

-Build consensus around solutions.  Adopt only those solutions that are acceptable to all family members.

-Reevaluate.  Periodically reconvene the family to determine if the solutions are still working or if new solutions are needed.

This information is from the Thriving in Challenging Times publication.  The publication is available online at .

Master Environmental Educators

Fourteen volunteers participated in a two-day intensive training for the Master Environmental Education Program at Weeks Bay Estuary and Research Reserve on August 18 & 19.   The goals of the program include:  encouraging Baldwin County residents to become good environmental stewards, educating residents to protect our coastal environment, promoting the value of our environment to our residents and providing opportunities for youth and adults to enjoy the outdoors.  

The Master Environmental Educators are  trained to present educational programs to students on the following topics:   aquatic nuisance species, backyard wildlife habitat, energy, groundwater pollution, invasive plants, nonpoint source pollution, recycling, and the water cycle.  For more information about the program, contact Leisa Myles at the Baldwin County Extension Office at 937-7176 or 928-3002/943-5061 ext.2222

Email address: swingard@aces.edu

Phone: 937-7176 or 943-5611, 928-0860, ext. 2222

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.