Family - My future
FAMILY
Family is a group of people consisting of one or two parents and
their children, who share certain aims, values and live together in one home. It is the most important social group, which provides protection,
education, socialisation, care for the aged, sick, disabled or people who lost the job and need some help. We learn here all the skills that we need
for life: how to get on with people and be tolerant, selfdisciplined, polite, helpful and how to communicate. It fulfils a biological, sociological,
emotional, economical and educational function.
There is a lot of different family structures. We differentiate among nuclear,
extended, reconstituted, foster parents and single-parent families. The nuclear family basically consists of two generations of family members living
in the same household. Extended families consists of three or more generations. Single-parent families involve a single person plus dependant
children. The reasons why these families are formed is an increase in the numbers of people divorcing, pregnancy outside marriage and the death of
a marriage partner. Reconstituted families are also called step-families. One consequence of high rates of divorce and remarriage is an increase in
the number of families headed by step-mothers and step-fathers. This type of family is becoming increasingly common. If we have our own parents or
not, they give us love, protection, responsibility, support... Unfortunately, there are children, who are orphaned or abandoned. They grow up in
orphanages or foster families where they get love from non- biological parents and siblings. There are charity organisations that look for parents
who would like to adopt such children. Adopting a child is a very long process. Couples have to go through different checks on their origin, age,
financial situation, relationships, living condition...
Family is the product of historical development. Modern European families are
monogamous and egalitarian. The average age for marriage is much higher than it was in the past. The majority of young people get married in
their late twenties or early thirties. There are no prejudices against women and men who don´t get married before a certain age. In the past they
were marked as spinsters and bachelors. Nowadays, they are recognised as people who either live with sb in the same dwelling or as people who
don´t want to be tied down by marriage. Living together without being formally married is called cohabitation.
The wedding is a formal
act that takes place in a town hall or in a church, where they promise to live together in good and also in bad times. Despite this promise, it
is often broken. The common reasons are different interests, lack of faith, financial reasons, living with parents and parents-in-law, addiction to
alcohol, drugs or gambling.
My autobiography:
Your future:
My
family:
(describe your family members)
Children can help at home in the
following:
GIRLS can:
- wash the
dishes (wash up) – umyť riad
- clean windows
- do the
ironing – žehliť
- do the hovering – vysávať
- tidy up the house –
upratať
- water flowers – poliať kvety
- cook
lunch (dinner) – uvariť obed (večeru)
- make breakfast – urobiť raňajky
- take the rubbish out – vyniesť von smeti
BOYS can:
- help their
father in the garage – pomôcť otcovi v garáži
- work in the garden
- cut the grass / mow
the loan – pokosiť trávnik
- wash the car
- change a lightbulb – vymeniť
žiarovku
- repair (fix) things that are broken – opraviť veci, ktoré sú pokazené
My family usually meet on these occasions:
- birthday
- name’s
day
- wedding - svadba
- funeral -
pohreb
- christening - krstiny
- Christmas - Vianoce
- New Year’s
Eve – Silvester
Family leisure time:
Most families spend time together at the weekend or during
holidays. They can:
- stay at home and watch TV
- go out for a trip – ísť na
výlet
- do some sport – športovať
- go to a cinema / a theatre / a
restaurant
- go for a visit (visit friends, family – grandmother, aunt…)
- go for a walk – ísť na prechádzku
PARENTS & THEIR CHILDREN:
Parents look after their children. They should have a friendly relationship with them. I think that they should
be willing to listen to their children when they need them and they should always help them. They should talk to them and try to find solutions to
problems together. On the other hand, they should teach them to be polite and tolerant to other people. Parents shouldn’t spoil their
children.
Problems between parents and their children - parents can also have problems with their children because:
- Teenagers want freedom – they want to spend time with their friends and they want to make their own decisions
- Parents want control over their children - parents complain that the children don’t want to listen to them, that they are
cheeky, impolite. They don’t respect adults and older people.
- Teenagers complain that their parents don’t understand them and
control them all the time.
- Teenagers spend a lot of money
- Parents often complain, their ch. are
lazy-don´t help with domestic chores, don´t learn to school...
Relationships
between the older generation /grandparents/ and the younger generation /grandchildren/
Sometimes there are generation problems
between the younger generation and the older generation. Older people usually don’t understand young people. I have a good relationship with my
grandparents. I often visit them. We usually talk about my school and television programs. We often discuss the television news.
Zones.sk – Zóny pre každého študenta