What's on Macey's Mind

Something I did not really realize was how much dating has changed over the years. For me, it has always been pretty normal to simply hang out with a bunch of friends all the time. People in my high school were either "dating," which basically meant being with one other person, or did not really go on dates. We had high school dances where people would ask each other out in a big way and then go on an extravagant sometimes significantly expensive date before going to the actual dance. On top of that, we would typically ask a friend or someone we already knew fairly well so we would feel more comfortable and not awkward. Other than these dances, going on dates- especially with a lot of different people- was not a frequent occurrence. I did not really think much of it until I came to college and everyone was asking everyone on dates. I did not think it was weird but it was just a different atmosphere than I was used to. When we "hang out" with each other or solely p

Hello everyone! I wanted to touch on a topic that may be a little more sensitive this week. I was reading an excerpt from an article entitled, "Infants Prefer Toys by Gender," and found it pretty interesting. I learned some new things I had never thought of before and wanted to share some of what I read. You may have noticed growing up your parents, grandparents, or other friends and family members bought you either “boy” toys or “girl” toys depending on your gender. Some people have increasingly expressed their concern with creating and implementing gender stereotypes on children at a young age. They may believe purchasing their infants and young children certain colored clothing or specific types of toys usually catered towards one gender may prevent them from being able to express or discover their individual selves. What I did not realize was that there have actually been studies done that show there is a reason boys gravitate toward certain “boy toys” and girls gravita

Last week I touched on family systems, and I wanted to further discuss how families actually have their own cultures and traditions.When we think of culture we may just think of people from foreign countries that may wear very distinct items of clothing, or perform certain rituals among other things. However, there are also family cultures in each and every household. We may have certain traditions or just simple things we do in our family that are different from other households. In my house, it is normal for whoever dirtied a dish to clean it themselves. Whereas at some of my friends' houses, they have a designated person to wash the dishes that night or for that week. We also try as often as we can to sit down together as a family for dinner and typically discuss our days or how we can help each other out if someone is struggling. Other people may be either too busy to have family dinner or it is just custom for them to all eat on their own at different times. Some families enjo

For a while now I have wanted to be a therapist. When I was younger, I had some pretty wild career choices in mind but never did I think I would have the desire to be a therapist. I, myself, refused to go to therapy for a long time. I struggled with anxiety issues growing up, and greatly could have benefited from a therapist as I could have solved some issues that instead progressed into my late teenage years. Although still skeptical, I eventually came around and met with an amazing lady who was able to give me very valuable advice. She made me feel my issues and concerns were valid and then helped me learn skills that would help me whenever I felt overwhelmed with anxiety. Later on, I actually decided therapy was something I was seriously interested in and wanted to learn more about.  I have always wanted to be in a career where I could help people and being a doctor was completely out of the question as I am not the biggest fan of needles, blood, etc. Being a therapist seemed lik

Hello everyone! Hope your week went well. My week has been fairly interesting as I have been learning some interesting things regarding the family- specifically in this modern age. Years and years ago, families looked and lived rather traditionally. Many families were typically comprised of a mother and a father, along with a few offspring. However as time progresses, the idea of what families are has begun to change. More men and women choose cohabitation rather than to be married. Children are more frequently brought up in homes where their parents are divorced or never married to begin with. Additionally, infertility rates have significantly increased. There are many reasons as to why divorce, infertility, and cohabitation households may be increasing. While watching a documentary entitled, “The New Economic Reality: Demographic Winter,“ I learned what some of these reasons are. To start off, the sexual revolution became a significant part of history, as it entailed people turning

Hi everyone, it's Macey! I am looking forward to sharing a bit about my family, my experience with family relationships, what I have learned thus far, and what I will continue to learn about the family and its essential role. Thanks for reading!