Family is defined as one or more parents and one or more children living together in a household. Every family is different. What is important to one family may not be important to the next family. There may also be several things that different families have in common when it comes to addressing important and strong characteristics of a family. Characteristics of a good, strong family include (Parent Leadership and Involvement, nd): • spending time together • communicating effectively • showing appreciation and commitment to each other • good coping skills, values and • beliefs There is no limit or maximum time a family must spend together to be considered healthy. The point of time together is the quality of the time spent together, not the quantity of time. Effective communication means having the ability to listen to what is being said and being able to speak calmly to one another. When showing appreciation and commitment to each other is fundamental respect for each other and helping the family member accomplish what they believe is important to them. Good coping skills and value are having the ability to deal with crises when they arise (Sale, n.d.). My family consists of my husband, my two sons and myself. Currently, one son lives at home and the other is in the military. My husband retired from the army and is now continuing his studies. My son is currently in high school and plays every sport he can play. As for me, I am currently in the army. My husband and I are the core of our household. We share responsibilities and decisions are not made without discussing them among ourselves. Education is essential in our home. Our policy in raising our children is that you shall...... middle of paper ...... a way of life for those who believe in serving others (Ethical Standards for Service Professionals social, nd). services directly address the needs of a parent and child; as well as social service representatives and their clients. Human service professionals live by a code that is the integrity and welfare of their clients at all times due to the Privacy Act of 1974. The Privacy Act of 1974 1974 states that “the term “record” means any item, collection or grouping of information. about an individual who is maintained by an agency, including, but not limited to, their education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and which contains their name, or identification number identification, the symbol or any other element of identification attributed to the individual, such as a fingerprint or voice print or a photograph” (The Privacy Act Of 1974, nd.)