DATE: February 22, 2008
CONTACT:
Dr. Deborah Thomason, (864) 656-5721
dthmsn@clemson.edu
WRITER:
Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741
spalmer@clemson.edu
Quality family leisure time equals family satisfaction
MYRTLE BEACH — A family that plays together stays together, according to research at Clemson University.
“Families that have quality leisure time together are more likely to be satisfied than families that don’t,” is another way to put it, according to Joel Agate. He’s a graduate student with Parks, Recreation and Tourism at Clemson University.
He told an audience of more than 150 from all over the United States last week at Myrtle Beach that through recent research he has found that families doing quality things together, which everybody enjoys, is the key to family satisfaction. He spoke at a Strengthening Families, Youth and Communities conference hosted by Clemson University.
He said that family leisure provides opportunities for families to bond with each other, solve problems and strengthen their relationships.
The event offered workshops designed to help those who work with families, young people and communities find ways to strengthen them. Participants included youth leaders, family life educators, extension agents and social workers.
It’s part of extension’s outreach and public service, according to Deborah Thomason, a professor and extension specialist with Clemson University who helped organize the conference.
Agate had a few suggestions for family fun: Take a vacation. Go to the water park. Go camping.
“Young people want to spend more time with their families and little everyday things make a big difference,” he said. Agate indicated that research shows leisure time can increase family communication and problem-solving skills and improve the satisfaction with family life.
Sarah Taylor Agate, graduate student and certified family life educator, also discussed how many are calling for society to take steps to help protect and strengthen the family unit.
“Perhaps the least utilized is that of family recreation,” she said. “Over 70 years of research has consistently reported positive relationships between family members that participate in recreation together.”
Health problems can also be an issue for families and individuals. Those who find ways to work through those problems can inspire others.
Princella Lee-Bridges, founder and executive director of Bridge from Augusta, spoke about helping families that have been through a traumatic experience such as having someone severely burned.
She spoke from her personal experience as a burn survivor.
“I chose to be a survivor instead of a victim,” she said.
Bridges talked about the challenges she had of finding resources in her own community after she was burned in a house fire in 1992. Her life was altered after this.
That’s when she organized Bridges from Augusta to help other adults and families who have experienced burn injuries and trauma, transition back into the community by providing education and empowerment support. It is a non-profit organization serving burn survivors in the Upstate of South Carolina.
“Society is not educated to external appearances of others,” she said. “People need to know there’s hope after being burned.”
Other speakers were Mona Dukes, director of development and public relations at Williamsburg Tech; Martha McGinnis with Visual Logic; Jodie Sprayberry, with NOAA Coastal Services Center; and Thomas Dismukes, humorist.
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