Family. ( Olympiad. Form 8-9)

My family consists of my father, my mother and me, their son/ daughter. So I/m an only child in the family. I’d better start my story with my dad, who is the breadwinner in our family. His name is…. He is in his late forties, But he looks powerful and impressive. At present he is a director of a large plant. He is very busy, concentrated on his work and has very little free time.

My mother’s name is… She is an economist by education. She is very interested in her work and she is a good professional. My mother is attractive, kind and loving. She is a person who is always there for me. She is the one who makes me smile when I’m sad. Sometimes she tells me off when I’m lazy or messy. She never forgets about my homework and sometimes is a bit bossy. But actually she is friendly and helpful

We are a really happy and a close-knit family.

You can’t but agree that a happy family is the thing that every child needs. Of course there is no magic formula for happiness but some of its aspects are universal. They are freedom, sound health, the sense of belonging, an interesting occupation, a possibility to express yourself. Actually all these things have their beginning in the family. Nothing else but a family can be an emotional center of people’s life and a transmitter of culture. Such things as mutual respect, understanding, consideration for others, patience, tenderness are important in every family. And such things as hypocrisy, selfishness, rudeness, insincerity should never exist in family relationships. There are a lot of activities that make a family a strong, healthy unit. They are discussing all the family plans together, going on trips together. The members of a friendly family visit theatres, exhibitions and exchange opinions. They share their joys and troubles and help each other in everything. And of course every family should have some traditions. These traditions may be different, they may be serious or amusing, very unique or quite common. But they all are important because they unite the family and make it stronger.

The traditions of our family are quite common. We like to spend our weekends together. When the weather is nice we go on picnics. Very often we go to the country to visit my granny. We celebrate birthdays of our family members and other holidays together. The holiday I like best is New Year’s Day. We usually see the New Year in at home. Our flat looks really great with a brilliantly decorated fir-tree. When the clock strikes 12 we stand round the table holding up glasses of champagne and wish each other happiness, good luck, peace and understanding. I love this holiday for its magic and merry atmosphere, for the happiness it gives to me, my relatives, friends and to all the people. This holiday is surely worth celebrating

Family.

What will you ask your British friend about his/her family?

1. Why do you like your family? 2. How big is your family? 3. Have you got any brothers or sisters? 4. Do you get along well with your family? 5. What is the best thing about your mum/ dad? 6. What do you and your family like doing together? 7.Is it easy to decide what to do together? 8. Are you always ready to support your family?

What can you advise people who want to have a close and happy family?

If you want to have a close and happy family follow my advice. It will lead to understanding and friendship in your relationships with your relatives. When dealing with family members you need to remember that you should treat them the same way that you want to be treated. Make sure that you don’t offend family members. Always be polite, avoid being rude and hard. Secondly, take an active part in family occasions, such as birthdays or visiting elderly relatives Show that you are interested in family matters. You should always listen to them carefully. That will help to work through some misunderstandings and to get on well with everybody. And finally when disagreeing with someone never blame your nearest and dearest for what they do or say because they always wish you the best. Try to be understanding, loving and caring with all your family members.

Why are there many one-parent families? How does the state help such families?

It’s a well-known fact that half of all marriages in Belarus end in divorce so we see the increase in the number of families that are headed by only one person, usually the mother. They say all happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. The reasons are different. I think that marriage is different from love, it involves responsibilities. Common interests, mutual respect and understanding are no less important than love. Unfortunately, not all the families can cope with their problems.

Many divorced men are required by law to help their wives support their children, but not all of them fulfill the responsibilities. Some of these difficulties are relieved by government programmers providing help to low-income families. Our law allows men and women to escape bad marriages, that’s why getting a divorce is not very difficult but it is one of the most stressful events in the life of grown-ups. Children also suffer from divorce. Nevertheless. Most people think that living with one parent is better for children than living with two parents who are unhappy with one another and fight most of the time.

Family

According to Eric Fromm (1900-1980), US psychologist, ‘the mother-child relationship is paradoxical and, in a sense, tragic. It requires the most immense love on the mother’s side, yet this very love must help the child grow away from the mother and become fully independent.’

In “The Merchant of Venice”, William Shakespeare wrote, ‘It is a wise father that knows his own child’

Do you agree that a loving mother and a wise father are of great importance to a growing child. What, in your opinion, makes a loving mother and a wise father?

Below you have got a list of symptoms. Which of them are success and which are failure ones? Categorize them and add some more

-valuing the child’s viewpoints, always inviting a child’s opinion

- commenting negatively on the child’s “fashionable’ appearance

- failing to complement a child when s/he does a good job

- using practical examples when explaining things and giving advice

- praising a child, trying to provide chances for his/ her success

- using ‘because I say so” principle in dealing with a child

- helping a child by practical advice

- giving little attention to the child’s opinion

- becoming angry or irritated too easily

- having no sense of humor and taking everything too seriously

- showing patience in dealing with a child

- cooperating with a child

- rarely showing anger especially in arguments

- showing no interest and non-interfering into a child’s school affairs

- maintaining a good sense of humor

- showing belief in a child’s abilities

Do young people have anything to learn from the older generation?

Main body

a) What may be learnt from the older generation?

- details of past times, historical events

- changing lifestyles, e.g. technology, social roles, social systems, environmental changes, attitudes, fashions and tastes

- ways of thinking

- how to deal with certain problems- old people have got a lot of experience, they are calmer and wiser

b) Drawbacks

- old people are often ‘set in the ways’, not open to new ideas

- may be out of touch with the experiences of the younger generation

- may only recall positive aspects of the past, not present a balanced view

Conclusion

Why young people should learn from the older generation

- to gain a broader understanding of life

- to learn how to deal with certain situations

- to form their own system of values

Family traditions.

You can’t but agree that a happy family is the thing that every child needs. Of course there is no magic formula for happiness but some of its aspects are universal. They are freedom, sound health, the sense of belonging, an interesting occupation, a possibility to express yourself. Actually all these things have their beginning in the family. Nothing else but a family can be an emotional centre of people’s life and a transmitter of culture. Such things as mutual respect, understanding, consideration for others, patience, tenderness are important in every family. And such things as hypocrisy, selfishness, rudeness, insincerity should never exist in family relationships. There are a lot of activities that make a family a strong, healthy unit. They are discussing all the family plans together, going on trips together. The members of a friendly family visit theatres, exhibitions and exchange opinions. They share their joys and troubles and help each other in everything. And of course every family should have some traditions. These traditions may be different, they may be serious or amusing, very unique or quite common. But they all are important because they unite the family and make it stronger.

The traditions of our family are quite common. We like to spend our weekends together. When the weather is nice we go on picnics. Very often we go to the country to visit my granny. We celebrate birthdays of our family members and other holidays together. The holiday I like best is New Year’s Day.We usually see the New Year in at home. Our flat looks really great with a brilliantly decorated fir-tree. When the clock strikes 12 we stand round the table holding up glasses of champagne and wish each other happiness, good luck, peace and understanding. I love this holiday for its magic and merry atmosphere, for the happiness it gives to me, my relatives, friends and to all the people. This holiday is surely worth celebrating

The Importance of a happy home for every child’s psychological state.

Whenever I think about my home, my family, a poem by Carol Fitchett comes to my mind

A Home

Needs:

To be lit by the electricity of caring for all,

To be carpeted by friends from wall to wall.

A few moments of privacy and thoughts of love,

To be heated by the warmth of God above.

To be cleaned of bickering every day,

To be furnished with an understanding way.

To be filled with the aroma of delicate food,

And then happiness will become its mood!

You can’t but agree that such homes are very important for every child. A happy family is the thing that every child needs. Of course there is no magic formula for happiness but some of its aspects are universal. They are freedom, sound health, the sense of belonging, an interesting occupation, a possibility to express yourself. Actually all these things have their beginning in the family. Nothing else but a family can be an emotional centre of people’s life and a transmitter of culture. Such things as mutual respect, understanding, consideration for others, patience, tenderness are important in every family. And such things as hypocrisy, selfishness, rudeness, insincerity should never exist in family relationships. There are a lot of activities that make a family a strong, healthy unit. They are discussing all the family plans together, going on trips together. The members of a friendly family visit theatres, exhibitions and exchange opinions. They share their joys and troubles and help each other in everything.

But if you ask me what the most important thing in molding the child’s personality is, I will definitely say LOVE. But it should be wise love. The thing is that this very love mustn’t spoil the child but must help the child grow away from the mother and father and become fully independent. That’s why children shouldn’t be smothered by their parents and should be given as much responsibility as possible from the early age. They should definitely keep their own room tidy and make their own beds. When they are older they can do the shopping, the washing up and some other work about the house. Wise parents will never fail to complement a child if she/ he does a good job. They always value the children’s viewpoints, invite their opinions and show belief in a child’s abilities.

Of course, bringing up children is not an easy task. Children are not angels. Sometimes they disobey their parents. They break the rules accepted in the family, do forbidden things, do not keep their word or promise and these things cause a lot of trouble. Wise parents will never show anger, especially in arguments. They will never use ‘because I say so’ principle in dealing with a child, but will use practical examples when explaining things and giving advice. The thing is that only by their own example can parents teach their children to be tactful, supportive and tolerant and help them to become good parents in future

For me personally a home is a place where I am always welcome and safe and my soul rests peacefully. It’s a place where I find comfortable atmosphere for work and rest. And if I have problems I can always speak them out and find understanding, support and practical help and advice.

Tell me what usually makes you happy

To my mind happiness is something that lives inside each of us, but not all the people are able to feel it. You can neither buy happiness, nor sell it; you can never win it in the lottery; the only way to be happy is to grow your happiness. Some people are always grumbling about their endless problems, dissatisfaction in life and even about the dull weather that annoys them. Such people see only dark sides in everything and it prevents them from being happy. But let’s look at other people! At first sight they have nothing in life; they don't have stable jobs or their own apartments, but they are really happy; they meet every day with a smile, they laugh and receive pleasure from life. And that’s great.

I personally appreciate such people and I believe that happiness is to live your life, to enjoy every day of your life, to be glad to every minute and to receive with thanks everything that life offers you. And even when it gives you hardships and difficulties, it gives you strength to overcome them. Happiness means to live your life in such a way that when retired you have something to remember and to be proud of, some pleasant moments that will always evoke a smile.

I'm sure that I'm a happy person: I have many friends, loving parents, goals in my life. As one of my friends says if you are not a handicapped person you are a really lucky and happy one. And I think that is true. I try to enjoy every day of my life and be happy all the time: to smile when I wake up because of the bright sun shining directly into my window, to feel happiness somewhere deep inside playing snowballs or swimming in the sea, to feel pleasure when I see a child happily laughing or when I look at a large rainbow after a downpour.

Generation gap between parents and children is inevitable.

A generation gap is a gap between the views of the younger generation of teenagers and the views of their parents. It’s an everlasting social phenomenon. Every generation lives at a certain time, under certain conditions and people have their own values and views. They also have certain principles they believe in. We can find a lot of examples in literature such as “Fathers and Sons” by Turgenev, “Woe from Wit” by Griboedov and others.

Parents always have their own opinion and plans that concern our future. They want to be patterns for imitation. They refuse to admit that we have grown up and can have our own point of view. They are bossy and we are often moralized. They don’t take into account that in this rapidly changing age of scientific progress and new technologies our needs and aims can be totally different from theirs. As a result, we begin to protest, trying to prove that we are individual and unique. So we wear strange clothes, dye our hair, take drugs, smoke and what not.

Some families can manage this difficulty but others can’t. It depends on what parents and children love more- each other or their own principles. The Beatles have a very good song “All you need is love” We should remember about it….. (a happy family, my family)

1. What are your relations with your parents like?

I enjoy honest and open relationship in our family. I’m happy to say that my home is the place where everybody understands, respects and loves me….

2. Why is adolescence considered to be a difficult age?

Because it’s the age when children want to be independent, they have their own point of view. But at the same time they depend on their parents for money, clothes etc. So they feel dissatisfied. Some of them find it difficult to live up to their parents expectations. They want to be individuals and try to prove that they are different.

3. What makes a good parent?

First a good parent values the child’s viewpoints and shows belief in a child’s abilities. Then a good parent should be patient in dealing with a child he should never show anger or become irritated. ….

4. Were you naughty as a child?

I don’t know, maybe I was a little bit naughty. I wanted to be the center of the universe. I didn’t understand that my parents may have their own interests and problems.

Love. Marriage

1. Do you believe in love?

Well, I think I believe in love. I don’t know exactly how to define it, whether it’s fancy or adoration or passion, but I’m sure it exists. Love is a timeless value I absolutely believe that loves means devotion, tenderness… It involves harmony, support, admiration…