Sue Ann McKnight’s Family and Consumer Sciences classes at Corner Middle School recently wrote essays stating what they think are the most important family values:

Family is something we don’t see much of these days. Kids are always going off with their friends, doing extracurricular activities like playing sports or playing in the band, or just keeping to themselves.  Parents are working long hours or going out of town for their jobs. After that, they don’t have the energy to interact with the rest of their family. Why is it so important for families to spend time together?

Family prepares us for the world outside of high school. It teaches us how to fend for ourselves, interact with others, get help when we need it, and simply survive. Who cares for you and supports you throughout your developmental years? Your family does. Who traditionally teaches you how to ride a bike, drive a car? Your family does. Who teaches you to cook, clean your own home, launder your clothes? Well, there are classes that teach those things, but by the time we’re old enough to take those classes, we’re preoccupied with other things, like impressing everyone in your class and the trip to the mall after school with your best friend, so family teaches you before those things are Important.

Family also teaches us things and impresses things upon us that can’t be taught in a classroom. They teach the basis for your morals, the way you interact with other, and even the way you think. It gives you the impression of what a family should be like and that usually foreshadows how you mold your own family. To have a stable family, the best kind, you need to spend time together. Stable families are always best. Children from a stable home usually function better, have a higher mental health level, and even have higher test scores.

However, if your family is all spread out, it isn’t a true family. You need to spend quality time with your family to get the benefits of one.  You need to set apart a special day for everyone to get together and do an activity. It can be as simple as eating a meal together and talking about what’s on your mind or having a special game night. It’s important that you don’t have anything distracting, like a television, around. The point of the special family night is communication. Once a week is a good interval to have quality time; everyone can work around it if need be.

It’s important that you have a healthy and positive relationship with your family. It helps everyone be emotionally and mentally stable, which is a very good thing. Family night is an easy, time-conscious way to maintain that relationship and it can be shifted around to anyone’s liking. It’s important, most of all, just to enjoy being around the people that love and support you.

Chance Templeton

 

I think it is important for families to spend time together. I think this because when families get together they get closer. Some results of families getting together are their relationships get stronger. Also they get advice from their parents about problems. Another result is children learn that family is important to their parents and therefore, learn to be good parents themselves. Also, the more time you spend together, the better chance you have of sharing quality experiences. That is some results of families getting together.

It is important for families to get together. I think this because spending meaningful time together is an important element of successful marriages and families. Another thing is studies have shown children who live in a home and spend time with both parents develop more stable relationships and become better parents themselves. Also it is important for parents to keep up with children’s lives. Also it is important to respect each other. Last thing is to create happy memories for children to look back on. That is some reasons for families to get together.

Brianna Miller

 

Family time means a lot to me and how I spend my time daily. Families need to make time for one another and try to plan events that involve each person of the family. It brings everyone closer in family, the more time a family spends together the better they will be. This project helped us plan time with our family, but it only works if families want to sit down, communicate and spend time with one another. Each member of a family will be happier, a family will communicate more with each other, you will trust and depend more on your family. These are just a few benefits of making time to spend with your family. If families spend more time with each other these benefits will fall into place. 

That is why family time is important to me and should be for everyone else too. I feel that my family is happier because we take time out of each day to talk with one another, and even if we don’t have as much time to do that some days, we make sure we help each other.  Whether we are outside working or doing other activities we make sure to involve ourselves with one another in whatever we may be doing. 

When families involve themselves with one another it no longer seems like a chore or a task; it becomes a way that you do things.  A family member will trust and depend more on other family members because they will get to know their family in greater detail and believe in whatever each family member does is the right thing to do. 

This is why family time is important to me and should be for all other families.

Peyton Waugh

The importance of family time together is it helps create self-confidence. It also helps you to be able to communicate with each other and understand each other’s feelings. Family time is important because it helps form strong bonds. The strong bonds and self-confidence helps instill character and values that we carry throughout our lives. You can achieve this goal by spending time with your family. For example, going on vacation, family outings, eating together, going to church together, etc.

Brook Nunn

 

In my opinion, it is very important to keep families strong. The stronger a family is, the more comfortable the children are. A child’s life is dependent upon the first five to six years of their life, which is spent with only their family. If you have a strong family, you’re more than likely learning everything you need to within these years, but if your family isn’t very strong, you have a smaller chance of learning all of the skills you’ll need later in life. As you grow up, you’re making new friends and not spending as much time with your family as you used to. Although, more time will be spent with your family if they are strong because you will feel more comfortable around them. Also, as you grow up, you experience more problems and decisions than you did while you were a child. When you’re having a problem or trouble making a decision, you want someone to talk to. If you have a strong family, they’ll be approachable and easy to talk to, but if your family’s unstable, it won’t be as easy to talk to them. A strong family creates a child that is more likely to succeed in the future.

Kailey Conner

It’s always important to stay close to your family because you need to have a good relationship with them. Also, home life can affect school life, so if you have no family relations you might not have a great social life. There are many ways to keep you family close. You could have a family game night, maybe eat dinner without the TV every night, shop together, or have a two-hour conversation about how each other’s day was. However you decide to try and keep you family together I’m sure it’ll work. It’s almost impossible to have a way that your family can’t spend any time together. Those are just my ways and opinions to keep your family close and I’m sure you have your own ideas.

Nikki Burrage

Family is important because you will always have someone there to support you, care for you, and love you no matter what. Some ways to build a strong family is to have good communication. It is always good to have someone to talk to. Another way to build a strong family is to be there for one another when problems occur.  The way my family stays strong is by praying together. My family does a lot together when no one is having to work. There are some ways I’ve given you to keep your family strong, and why your family is important.

Zowie Yarbrough

 

Families are very important, and it’s also important to keep families strong. The rate of divorce gets higher almost every year. Strong families can help prevent divorce. It’s also good to have support from your families. When your families support you, it gives you the feeling that somebody cares, and it pushes you toward your goals. Strong families also give you the feeling that someone cares for you, and that helps you to be more open with your family, as well as other people. Studies have shown that kids with strong families make better grades. Better grades help you with your future. If you promote intellectual development, have mutual trust, good communication, and help each other out with problems, it can help your family get stronger and grow closer together.

Kelcey Hayes

To me, family time is one of the most important things one should have in their home life. The people you live with, whether your immediate family or not, are people you’re going to be stuck with for quite a long time, so you might as well get along with them. I personally don’t live with my immediate family (mother and father) because they are both deceased.  My mother passed away after losing her battle with cancer on Nov. 7, 2009. My father passed away when I was 7 years old or somewhere near that time. Today, my 14-year-old sister and I live with our uncle and aunt, Shawn and Tracie Sanford, and their three children. At first, it was very hard for us all to get used to this big change, and getting along seemed to be impossible, but today we are all very close and we get along great! And it is because of all the time we spent together! I’m currently 16 and it is about to be three years that we have been living together.

Jonah Dawes

Over Labor Day weekend, my family decided to spend it together. We also have an almost fanatical devotion to football. Aside from football we discussed the history of my fatness side of the family. I learned that most of that side of the family is from the UK (Ireland, Scotland Wales, and England). Also we discussed how our family has a long line of fairly known musicians. We all had a great time and this was a great learning experience.

Colton Odom

Family time together is highly important, and there are many ways to achieve this. The whole point of family time is to learn more about each other’s needs, wants, and problems. It can also help show one another how much they care.  You can achieve this by planning family meals and activities or by just simply sitting down together to do homework or to have a short snack. There are many different ways to spend time with your family.  Enjoy then while you can.

Lizbeth Alvarado

The phrase “strong family” means a ton of things to me, but one word that stands out is love. Without love for one another, you cannot put up with each other or ever be able to spend time as a family without dispute. Also, when love is in the picture, you can get through hard times by helping each other out and giving encouraging advice.  With love in the presence of a family there will be peace.  Strong and loving families can get through anything with love and grace on their side.  Paul said in Ephesians 4:2, “Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love.” Love is the key to everything, including building the foundation of a strong family.

Karsen Frye

In my family, my mom and dad work like most families, but my dad is a miner and he works at nights. It’s hard to see him before I go to school. Really I don’t get to and when I come home he is asleep so it’s hard to do anything when it’s the weekend. My mom is a realtor.  She works 24/7. There is never an off day for her. It’s hard to have family time with them, dad sleeping all day, mom working all day and half of the night. But I realized if you show them the importance of family time, they will do anything and everything that they can to have family time. Tell them one night out of the week I want a family night to sit at the table without TV, cell phone, etc., talk to them about your day.  That’s what they’re there for is to help you though stuff.  They are your family; they are always here no matter what.

Amber Lowrance

Family time is important because it helps families grow stronger. In today’s culture everyone is always so busy which is why it is important to plan family time without TV or distractions. Whether it is a luxury family vacation or a stay at home dinner, it’s still quality time with your family.

Olivia Jennings

Family is a very important part of your life. It’s the one thing that shows you how to live your life. Like if you have a bad family and are isolated from them you will have a hard time living your life. If you have a good family, every day of your life, you’ll want to cherish because of the love and affection you’ve been given. Most of the families that are good have family time together. The best way to achieve this is to talk to each other and support each other, so that you can get closer in a way.

Becca Sellew

Spending time with your family is a major and important part of life. Your family can help you solve life’s problems and be your moral support, but your family must spend time together to build stronger bonds for this to happen. Spending time with your family helps to build trust and strengthen relationships between family members. Family time can also make everyone involved happier. Some ways to spend time with your family are doing activities together, just eating meals together or even just talking to each other. Other ways to build stronger bonds are to have family vacations and schedule family nights where you just spend time and play games with your family. Being open about your life with your family and building trust can also help bring your family together. Family time is an important part of having a strong family and having a strong family is part of having a strong and healthy life.

Meghanne Helms

Families in the United States seem to be growing apart as people grow on the idea that it’s normal not spend time with their families, and that it’s OK not to communicate. It’s not okay or normal no matter how much people argue on the subject. Families should communicate and spend time together to build trust, respect, and generally love each other. Some ideas for family time together are to plan family vacations, eat together and talk as meal time is family time and to generally just talk to each other. Communication and trust are the keys to having a strong family bond and that’s why it’s important to talk to each other whenever you can, even if you’re just passing each other in the living room. Ask your kids questions on school and their friends. Take them to the park and to put simply, just talk to them.

Micah Campbell

Families can do many things together to be closer and stronger. First of all, families can talk about things. When problems come, people like to go be alone and try to avoid the problem but that will cause distance. Families need to get together and talk things through. Not only will this make them stronger, it will build trust. Also, families need to make time to do this together. It could be a vacation, family night, or even just eating a meat together. This will give the family time to bond, be open and have fun with each other. Families need a good support system  When someone is down, someone else should be there to pick them back up. This will help boost self-esteem. Being open about situations and choices in the past can help people in families learn from each other. If families will begin to do these things, it will help maintain a healthy life style and prepare each other for the future.

Abby Hester

Spending time together with your family is very important. Your family members need to feel like they belong; and they need to feel like they have someone they can turn to for any time they need help or advice. Spending time together builds a good strong family bond  If you have a strong family, it will help each other to stick together through rough times and for everyone to always be in a better mood  It will also help maintain a healthy lifestyle and a higher self-esteem.  Ways your family could spend some time together include just eating dinner together and talking about how everyone’s day went. Traveling together and working together will also help to build a stronger family and for everyone to spend some time together. Everyone in your family needs to be supportive of each other’s challenges and try to avoid negative comments. Most families are very busy and don’t have much time to spend together, that’s why eating dinner together, talking to each other in the car, or going to church as a family on Sunday morning are easy ways to spend time together and help bond. Spending time together with your family and building a stronger family relationship is very important to achieve.

Megan Tucker

It is very important to spend time with your family. It is shown to give kids better test scores. It gives people stable mental health. Being with your family teaches life skills. It also helps build stronger relationships.  One idea to get together with your family is having a game night. Another excellent idea is eating a family meal together. If you have younger kids take them to the park or a playground.

Autumn Stover

My family is very important to me. Without them I’d be lost. I wouldn’t function right. They know me and accept me for who I am. They are the best people this world will ever meet. They have been through it all, but still have a tender caring heart. I love them so big. I thank God for my family every day. God bless!

Hali Jolly

Family time together is important. I feel this is important so you can get closer to your family. Being close to your family is important because it can keep your family from divorce. Keeping families close is always important.

Anna Main

One of the most hurtful things today is the breakdown of the family unit in our culture. With the rise of computers and cell phones families are spending less time together. The importance of quality time together is important for keeping relationships healthy. Here are some ideas for getting families together. Weekly family meetings are a great way to open up communication. All family members should be encouraged to share ideas, problems and plan. Another way to increase family time is to eat dinner together. Pick one or more nights a week, plan a menu and enjoy the evening cooking, eating, and cleaning up together. Planning a game night or cards and board games can involve the whole family providing entertainment. And is fun for everyone. Families must spend time together to be healthy. These are some ideas to get you started.

Erica Nail

The time spent with your family is very important. Without spending time with your family, you could have serious life problems. You can plan for this by talking to your parents.

Scarlett Phillips

Keeping families strong is very important to the health and happiness of everyone in the family. Families that spend time together are less likely to have parents that separate. Spending time together also helps kids from becoming depressed. Families can spend time together by eating dinner together, taking a family vacation or planning a game night. Anytime you do something with your family it helps to keep them together.

Katelyn Thomas

I think families should stay strong because it keeps the members strong. If the family is broken, then the member’s self-confidence can be shattered. You will have no one to turn to at home. You will have a hard time focusing on school or work. So please, please, think of your family

Tyffney Smith

Keeping families together is very important. If you have a strong family, you will have a long lasting family and also a long lasting relationship among your family.  Some ways to keep families strong could be to eat together as a family, support each other, and good communication between each family member. My family means a lot to me because they are always there for me when I need them.

Haley Turner

I’m going to make this short and sweet. God gave us one life and our family is the most important thing in life. You grow up and make a family of your own but spending time with your original family dwindles. I mean family time is something you should want to do because you love your family and one day, they will be gone and you will be wishing you had more time with them.  So spend time with your family now because one day it will be too late and what you didn’t do will be only a dream that won’t come true.

Chad Renfroe

Family time is very important. I think family time is very important because that’s when you get to catch up with your family about their day and spend quality time with them. Most kids that don’t spend time with their family want attention, because their parents don’t give them any attention. Kids tend to turn to others for attention since they don’t get any from their family. A few different ways to spend family time with your family is to plan activities. You could do different activities such as going to the lake or just eating dinner together. Family time is very important to me and I will continue to plan time with my family. Family time brings your family closer together and it makes our closer to one another. I loved spending time with my family. I enjoy doing stuff with my family because I always have fun with them. When I’m older and a mom I’m going to stress that my husband, kids and I spend quality family time together.

Hannah Bozeman

Family plays an important role in today’s society, but lately family time has slowly declined throughout the years. Family time is actually a pinpoint in creating a well-rounded person. A family provides structure and necessary fundamentals in generating a functional and successful human. In the past, families had closer, better developed bonds unlike families today. Families are now not near as strong as they used to be, and I believe that if families spent more time together that maybe we can fill that void that has been breaking families for year. Families could easily spend good, quality time together by simply planning. Possibly a family could plan a vacation or simply just watch a movie together, either way the family will be performing an activity that will allow each family member to grow closer together.

Brittany Scarborough

The way you can build a strong family is to have family dinners. Also, do not close anyone out, but talk to them.  Don’t argue all the time, and listen to your elders.  Try and help someone if they have a problem talk about it. Strong families are important because if you ever need someone to talk to you know for sure you have someone in your family to talk to.  Also so no one feels alone they always know they have someone.

Alley Hall

Families are really important. You should have good strong relationships with your family. If you don’t have a good relationship with your family you will not go far with your family. You need a strong relationship with your family so that when you come home, you have someone to say “Hey” to or have a mom and “Hey, Mom” or a dad and say “Hey Dad” and they give you a big hug when you get home. Also you can come home and hang out with your brother or sister.

Nathan Cortez

It is important for family to stay strong because every household should stick together. Families always need support, having someone to care for you, and having someone to talk to. If you don’t have communication in a family you really don’t have a family. Also it’s to prevent divorce because your family can’t be strong with just one parent. Another reason is because usually when parents split up their kids start doing drugs. That’s why I think it’s important to stay strong.

Megan Wilkerson

Family is a very important part of life. To me family is important because in life you have ups and downs and you need family there to support you. They give you someone to talk to and help you get through the hard times with. You can build a strong family by talking together and being there together. In conclusion, family will always be there for you no matter what happens.

Casey Allen

Family time can improve families because you get to spend time together. It helps your self confidence build up. You know that if you’re going through something wrong they are there for you. It helps you understand you are safer than you think. It lets you understand ya’ll are all in one and always will be.

Kaitlyn Stillwell

Family is good because it keeps little kids from doing bad stuff and getting into trouble. It teaches you moral values and instills respect for others. It teaches you tradition and how to give support and care for one another. A strong family is important because families that get divorced are usually not happy and the kids suffer. It shows individual respect.

Seth Varden

To me having a strong family means having a good relationship with your family members and being able to compromise and talk things through. It also means not letting anything get between you. In order to have a strong family you should make it a point at least once or twice a week to sit down as a family and talk to each other. Spending time with each other is very important. In order to have a strong family you must have trust, honesty, and good communication. It is important to have people who support you I everything you do and cheer you on.

Madison Pugh