Randa Wright

372

3- 17-07

The Meaning of family and Family Changes

            A family is a social unit that lives together, a primary social group; parents and children, people descended from a common ancestor, a class, an association of people who share the same beliefs or activities, kin, and a syndicate such as a group that stick together, whether it is for good or bad. When it comes down to family it is basically anyone that a person has a bond with whether it is a blood relative or a close relationship with someone. No matter what, family is everywhere and it is a big part of one’s life. Family determines who you become and how well a person will absorb future relationships in life.

            Over the years family in general has changed significantly. There is not the same respect as there was years ago. In fact, in years back, families were expected to sit at the table together when it was time to eat. Now days we eat at different times and different places, for example we will find it more appeasable to eat out at restaurants with friends or eat in front of the television away from the family.  There is even a program on TV Land and Nick at Nite that encourages ways to sit at the table together, with information on family tips to the table and conversation starters.

            Also another change in families from years ago is the lack of respect that the family has for one another. For example, today the children tend to have a bigger mouth and a bigger sense of back sass. For example my fiancé’s brother cusses at his parents when he doesn’t get his way or when it comes to not getting the sport car he wants. This just goes to show that the family has lost the respect that it once had. To those that have lost the respect for the rest of the family, they need to think about what would happen to them without their families.  The best advice I can give that a friend once gave me is “before you leave the house always tell you parents or family that you love them because when you return they may not be there.”

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Randa Wright

371

3-20-07

Family Changes

            Over the years, family in general, has changed significantly. There is not the same respect as there was years ago. In fact, in years back, families were expected to sit at the table together when it was time to eat. Now days we eat at different times and different places, for example we will find it more satisfying to eat out at restaurants with friends or eat in front of the television away from the family. 

            There are many reasons why we may not sit together at the table or even eat at different times. One very important key factor to not eating together is having different schedules, whether it is going to work, school or extracurricular activities. There is no real way of meeting up at the same time to sit down at the table to have a meal. In the old days there was not all the confusion on schedules and impossible planning of just a meal, there was more order to their days then now. Also another reason for not having a meal together is all the attractions the television has to offer. Sometimes watching television can be less nerve racking because sometime there is really nothing to talk about. Television can all around just be more entertaining.   

            Finding time or interest might not seem possible but there are many solutions to find ways to work around this. There is even a program on TV Land and Nick at Nite that encourages ways to sit at the table together, with information on family tips and conversation starters. In addition the family can go through each others schedules and find times were they will all be home and can sit down together. If that is not possible the family can come up with away to eat together at least once a week. That will be at least a start to finding some respect for family time. When it comes down to not having anything to talk about, the family can talk about what they did that day or future plans. Maybe even planning a trip some where as a family is a start, and that can always work because who can deny that they wouldn’t enjoy a trip together.