Conquering Awkward Family Dinners

The awkward weekly dinner begins. You reach for the salad fork at the same time as your mother. You both smile, and you cast your eyes downward, feeling the uncomfortable silence hanging between you. Your phone chimes a short melody, and your hands itch to answer it and relieve yourself of boredom, despite your mum’s no phone at the table rule. Your dad starts talking about the football game on Saturday and what the teams’ tactics will be this time. Soon enough, his chatter dies down to his mutters, then tense, unpleasant quietness is back between you again, and you just can’t wait to lock up your bedroom and skype your friends, complaining about how annoying your parents are.

But it shouldn’t be a pain. They’re people too, with lives that they lead, filled with problems, difficulties and accomplishments. Families are made of people, each has their own story, and with some work and some love, their stories can be part of yours too.

Families are the biggest factor of someone’s life. Your family will stick with you for your entire life - so instead of pushing yourself away from them, be grateful, and embrace the love they give you. Often, teenagers are moody and touchy, but that shouldn’t drive them away from their families. But because of this, many parents think that letting their children do their own thing would be better, but ultimately, everyone benefits from some family time.

According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, teens who spend less time with their families are much likelier to use drugs, alcohol and/or tobacco. And while typically, while teens are thought to be the ones who push away their parents, sometimes, parents don’t give their children enough attention, and in turn, their kids turn to other sources for affection, which in the end, could result in them to abusing substances.

No one thinks about this, especially during the dreaded teenage phase, but your family will be there with you forever, and when you’ve graduated and are off living your own separate life, you’re going to wish that you all were closer. And by the time your parents pass away, you’ll want nothing more than the chance to go back in time to your moody teenage days, and put more effort into your relationship with your family.

From a young age, students at UWC are exposed to technology, and soon enough, they become obsessed with their laptops. As they grow older, students depend more and more on their laptops, and by the time they enter high school, they spend most of their weekends shut in their rooms, cut off from their families by their closed doors and raised screens. And because of this, their families drift apart, only held together by the fact that they live in the same house.

Akanksha Shukla, age 13, says that the relationship she shares with her family is very strong, mainly because she has regular meals with them, and also because she shares her daily struggles and successes, which helps build trust with them. Although she does spend time alone with her laptop, she enjoys family time and voluntarily participates. In return, her family cares for and loves her, and supports and encourages her when she needs it.

Family could be seen as a colony ants. A single ant, all alone, can’t bear much weight, and is easily crushed by the others around them. But, an army of ants, working together, can achieve great things, and can protect each other from any harm. A tight knit ant colony should inspire you to build stronger bonds with your family, because they will support and protect you for as long as you live.

Family is a really important aspect of life for me. I didn’t realise this earlier, but a lot of the people in 8th grade don’t spend much time with their families. I find this really strange because my whole weekend is spent with my family, and I find myself missing them when I spend the weekend with my friends.

You don’t have to spend all your time with your family. Having some time to be alone or with your friends will also benefit yourself. You just need to find the perfect balance between the two.

Written by Kelly