Families have a delicate balance and every member plays a different role. This balance is called homeostasis. Most of the time, we don t even know the role we are playing. The role is almost an unseen or unspoken understanding of how you will behave. He makes all financial decisions, from putting a check into the bank to planning for retirement.
Many roles are more subtle, but just as important.
Even dysfunctional roles play a part in the family balance. Let me give you an example of how a dysfunctional role serves a purpose in a family system. Children that are performing poorly in school, using drugs or alcohol, or have difficulty with anger management usually get referred to a school psychologist or counselor. Frequently, the issue is not with the child, but with the parents. Not always, but many times, the seat of the trouble may be an alcoholic or abusive parent, or even marital difficulties.