Strengthening family relationships through professional programs

When students get back home late at night from finishing their day’s work, they go directly into their room, close the door and spend the rest of their time there before going to school next morning. This scene is familiar to many university students these days. The busier students become, the less time they spend with their families. Do we know how our Dad is doing at work these days? Do we know if our Mom is going through a mid-life crisis? Although we do not, do we even make an effort to heal the broken bonds caused by lack of communication and interest in our family?

The nearby Seodaemun-gu Family Center, a district-run center that the Ewha Industry Collaboration Foundation is in charge of, provides people with free family programs that help families establish healthy relationships. The director of the center is Professor Yang Ok-kyung, Dean of the Graduate School of Social Welfare. “The goal of our center is to provide professional information and education in order to strengthen weakened family relationships and elevate happiness through sound family ties,” said Yang.

At the center, there are countless programs provided for different members of the family to participate. “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, Living on the Same Star,” is a program that helps couples in maintaining a good relationship. In “Happy Mother School” and “Happy Father School,” parents are taught how to actively communicate with their children and become closer to them. Aside from these lecture-type programs, there are also programs that entire family can enjoy altogether. “Family Volunteers Happy Plus,” “Family Forest Expedition,” and “DIY (Do-It-Yourself): Protecting the Love and Health of the Family” are programs that help parents and children reinforce the significance of the family through participating in different cultural activities and real life experience. 

Among these programs, the most popular among Ewha university students, is “Between Love and Hate.” Students learn about diverse topics ranging from understanding the true meaning of family to finding the positive significance of marriage and relationship between couples.

Hwang Mi-kyoung, the general manager of the center, says that because the title of the program seems it focuses only on how to maintain a good relationship between couples. However, there is a deeper meaning as well. “The staff at the center came up with the name ‘Between Love and Hate’ to attract students, but the program goes beyond couple relationships and actually teaches them how to make a healthy family relationship in their future lives,” said Hwang.

Furthermore, other centers that strive to establish healthy family relationships exist around the country. There is an increasing number of programs established to better the relationship between fathers and children. The Korea Association for Community Education annually holds a five week program called, “The Good Father School,” which helps fathers to become closer to their children.

Kwon Hee-jeong, the teacher in charge of the program, says, “Every week, fathers realize how ignorant they were about their children through homework given. They cannot even answer simple questions such as ‘five close friends of your children’ and ‘the favorites of their children.’” Kwon also added that many participating fathers came because they were half-forced by their wives. However, as the session nears to the end, she sees how they have changed. They now share their stories of how they have become more interested in their family members.

Students who wish to improve relationships with their family, construct a loving family or keep their family from falling apart, can participate in these recommended programs. Kwon says what matters most is a strong will to accept the truth that the family is in need of a recovery and a desire to change the situation in order to establish a warm shelter under the name of our dear loved ones, family.

When students get back home late at night from finishing their day’s work, they go directly into their room, close the door and spend the rest of their time there before going to school next morning. This scene is familiar to many university students these days. The busier students become, the less time they spend with their families. Do we know how our Dad is doing at work these days? Do we know if our Mom is going through a mid-life crisis? Although we do not, do we even make an effort to heal the broken bonds caused by lack of communication and interest in our family?

The nearbySeodaemun-gu Family Center, a district-run center that the Ewha Industry Collaboration Foundation is in charge of, provides people with free family programs that help families establish healthy relationships. The director of the center is Professor Yang Ok-kyung, Dean of the Graduate School of Social Welfare. “The goal of our center is to provide professional information and education in order to strengthen weakened family relationships and elevate happiness through sound family ties,” said Yang.

At the center, there are countless programs provided for different members of the family to participate. “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, Living on the Same Star,” is a program that helps couples in maintaining a good relationship. In “Happy Mother School” and “Happy Father School,” parents are taught how to actively communicate with their children and become closer to them. Aside from these lecture-type programs, there are also programs that entire family can enjoy altogether. “Family Volunteers Happy Plus,” “Family Forest Expedition,” and “DIY (Do-It-Yourself): Protecting the Love and Health of the Family” are programs that help parents and children reinforce the significance of the family through participating in different cultural activities and real life experience.  

Among these programs, the most popular among Ewha university students, is “Between Love and Hate.” Students learn about diverse topics ranging from understanding the true meaning of family to finding the positive significance of marriage and relationship between couples.

Hwang Mi-kyoung, the general manager of the center, says that because the title of the program seems it focuses only on how to maintain a good relationship between couples. However, there is a deeper meaning as well. “The staff at the center came up with the name ‘Between Love and Hate’ to attract students, but the program goes beyond couple relationships and actually teaches them how to make a healthy family relationship in their future lives,” said Hwang.

Furthermore, other centers that strive to establish healthy family relationships exist around the country. There is an increasing number of programs established to better the relationship between fathers and children. The Korea Association for Community Education annually holds a five week program called, “The Good Father School,” which helps fathers to become closer to their children.

Kwon Hee-jeong, the teacher in charge of the program, says, “Every week, fathers realize how ignorant they were about their children through homework given. They cannot even answer simple questions such as ‘five close friends of your children’ and ‘the favorites of their children.’” Kwon also added that many participating fathers came because they were half-forced by their wives. However, as the session nears to the end, she sees how they have changed. They now share their stories of how they have become more interested in their family members.

Students who wish to improve relationships with their family, construct a loving family or keep their family from falling apart, can participate in these recommended programs. Kwon says what matters most is a strong will to accept the truth that the family is in need of a recovery and a desire to change the situation in order to establish a warm shelter under the name of our dear loved ones, family.