America’s Families and Living Arrangements, Essay Example

As a Christian mother of four children ages 4 years, 6 years, 11 years and 16 years old, I can say that I have adjusted fairly well.  It is not easy being a working mother of four children, maintaining a relationship and attending college.  I have been able to accomplish my goals.  My goal is to become a clinical counselor.  I am attending school due to the anxieties that I have for my children’s well-being in the future.  This is my rationale for studying psychology.  Psychology is the examination of the mental processes of the mind and the behaviors that are manifested.  The discipline of psychology encompasses all human experiences (APA, 2015). The journal entry reviewed current perspectives.

The most difficult circumstance that has been a cause of stress is the time that I spend with my children.  As a full time working mother, I perceive that I do not spend enough time with my children.  This perception has been a source of tension.  I am attending school in order to be able to give my children everything that I did not have access to as a Young catholic girl of European descent.   Studies have shown that I am not alone in my concern for my children as a working parent (Vespa et al., 2012).

The subject of both parents working in a household has been a topic of debate over the past several decades.  The amount of time that is spent with children is not important.  The amount of quality time spent with children is significant.  Research has demonstrated that in the 2011 census over 57% of the households that have children are composed of two parents who work (Vespa et al., 2012).  The ratio of two working parents in the households in the United States has increased due to the economic situations.

I feel that it is more important to have the ability to get my children all of the things that fulfill their needs during their development.  I have a preschooler, a child who is going to the second grade, an eleven year old who is in the fifth grade and a sixteen year old in high school.  My children understand that I have to work and attend college in order to make a better life.  The conflict of spending time with my children and developing a professional career has been a source of stress.

Stress is the reaction that individuals manifest to stressors.  Stressors are defined as the events that cause a perception of peril and cause the individuals to fully apply their coping abilities (AIS, 2015).   I have always experienced situations that appear to cause the full utilization of my coping abilities.  The ability of coping with stress is part of my daily routine.  At work, I’m responsible for renting cars to businesspeople.  There are times that the cars have breakdowns.

There are other times when the clients get into accidents with the rented vehicles.  There are other instances where the clients become upset due to the rates that have been charged for the vehicle rental.  These components are part of my job.  When I get into a stressful situation, my coping approach is to smile and count backwards to ten.  This approach enables me to respond in an assertive manner that is well considered.   I have been applying this coping technique since the birth of my first child.  My co- workers respect me for my ability of being able to remain calm during stressful situations.

In addition, when a stressful circumstance occurs, I keep in mind what I have learned in psychology.  The situations are not what really cause the stress; it is our perception of the situation that causes stress.  I have always been able to address the stressors and find reasonable approaches by the application of my coping strategy.

Conclusion

I hope to be able to apply what I am learning in order to develop professionally.  In addition, I want to be able to understand my children.  They are growing up in a works that is becoming increasing more complex. I hope to help make a better society.  This is my rationale for studying psychology.

References

APA (2015). Support center. American Psychological Association.

AIS (2015). What is stress? American Institute of Stress.

Vespa, J., Lewis, J.M. & Kreider, R.M. (2012). America’s families and living arrangements. United States Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce.