WORKSHEET 1) – FORM A BIOFAMILY
(30")
Directions
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Each person in your biofamily fill this worksheet out
1) Get in groups of three to five. Suggestions:
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Real-life partners should be in different
groups.
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Pick people you know least well in this
seminar.
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Take your materials with you.
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If you have a fifth person, add a relative or
a third child to the biofamily you build.
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Pick a spokesperson to introduce your
“biofamily” (small group) to the large group, after the role-play.
2) Each person pick a role:
design yourselves into a first-marriage biological family by picking first
and last names, ages, occupations, dwelling features, some key roles, and
some features of your standard Thanksgiving celebration. Record these on
this worksheet (below).
For wider learning,
pick a
different role than your real-life family role - e.g. male <-> fe-male; Mom
<-> Dad; adult -> child. Have fun with this, and be realistic about your
family-de-sign choices - e.g. a family income under $75,000/year. Note:
everyone in your "family" should have the same worksheet entries. You’ll use
your worksheets in later parts of the role-play.
3) Define Your members: Pick first names and a
common last name. Kids' ages should be between five and 13. "Other" can be
a third child, a live-in relative, or an observer.
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First and Last
Names |
Age
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Occupation
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Adult 1: |
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Adult 2: |
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Child 1 : |
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Child 2: |
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Other : |
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Your family religion,
if any: _____________________ Members attend church? Y / N
Your gross family
income:
$ _____,000 / month.
Adults' ethnic heritage/s ____________________________________________________
Family pets, if any
(kind/s & names) ____________________________________________
Your family location and
dwelling: ( ) city ( ) suburb ( ) small town ( ) farm
_ house _ apartment or condo (which floor?
____) _ 2-flat _ other: _________________
# of floors: _____ # of bedrooms: _____ #
of bathrooms _____ Is there a garage? _____
Fireplace/s? _____ Porch(es)? _____
Family (recreation) room? _____?
Air-conditioned? Y / N Yards: _ none
_ small _ medium _ big
Responsibilities: in your
household, who usually…
Takes out the garbage?
___________________________________________________
Does the laundry?
________________________________________________________
Pays the bills?
___________________________________________________________
Plans/cooks meals?
______________________________________________________
Buys the food:
___________________________________________________________
Makes child discipline rules?
________________________________________________
Enforces these rules?
_____________________________________________________
Makes the major family decisions?
___________________________________________
Special
Factors
Note anything special that currently affects
your biofamily members – e.g. someone has a significant health problem, a
financial problem, a pregnancy, a recent death, a new job, a graduation, an
accident, an inheritance, a legal suit, … (Don’t overdo this…)
Favorite
Family Events
1)
_________________________________________________________________________
2)
_________________________________________________________________________
3)
_________________________________________________________________________
Usual
Thanksgiving
Held where?
______________________________________________________________
Who comes?
______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Normal arrival time: __________ Leave time:
____________
Who cooks?
_______________________________________________________________
Main dishes / desserts:
______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Liquor/wine provided? Y / N; Church
before or after eating? Y / N.
Other traditions - prayers / photos / music
/ games...
Stop here.
If you finish designing your first-marriage family before the other groups,
add some family history: key memories, crises, events, hopes, and/or
traditions. Highlight them below. Notice how this “inventing” process feels,
and what thoughts, memories, and questions it brings up in you.
Thoughts/ feelings/ awarenesses from designing our first-marriage
“family”: