I have been teaching English at Woodsville High School for going on nine years. I teach mostly English 9, along with a few electives (including this one!).
Think about the family in The Glass Castle. Then offer your ideas about how families work. What makes a family successful and healthy, or dysfunctional? What are the roles of parents and children? What works and does not work about the Walls family?
Families are strange things. It's uncanny that such a small group of people can bond to each other over something so flimsy as blood relations. And even as families go, this one is particularly...well...weird. As I've said before, the parents are terrible to the kids, and they still love each other more than anything. In real life, it would make no sense at all, let alone in a nonfiction book. I can only imagine what a loving family they did if the Dad didn't go and get blasted every two seconds. As for regular families...well, I already said the whole concept was strange. We like some more than others, but we love all of them. Why? Because we happen to have a relative in common? Fact is, we're all related in one way or another, but we still find ourselves incapable of saying "I love you" to a person on the street. That's just common sense, right? Well, as I said, it's strange. As for roles, your guess is as good as mine. Children could be the secret leaders of the family, and parents could all harbor secret desires to smother their children, for all I know. My basic overview just tells me that parents love their children and vice versa. I don't know anything about parent-child psychology, so I'm just going to let that sleeping Rottweiler lie where it is. This concludes my 400 gigabytes or ranting. We now return you to your regularly scheduled boring blog.
Families should always work together and not fight. The parents should work to keep the food on the table and to pay for the house. The parents should not be going out all the time partying and getting drunk. If the either of the parents have a drinking problem and when they get drunk the get abusive the kids should not have to deal with that because they get depressed and get bad grades, get in trouble at school or anything like that. Also the parents have to spend quality time with the family and go out on vacations and spend time with the kids to build a stronger relationship with everyone.
I think families have to share the responsibilities. The parents have to make sure they are watching over the kids and making sure the kids are doing what they are supposed to be doing. The kids have to help out also. In my family, for example, me and my sister have to do the dishes and make sure our rooms are clean. Doing chores is a big part of families and helping out. The parents should always make sure they have money for food and for emergencies.
In the Walls family, they are loving and caring, the parents just don't take care of the kids the way they should. If Rex wasn't always drinking and had a job, I'm sure they would be wayyyyy better off. Also, if Rose watched the kids more closely and made sure they were clean and had cloths that actually had buttons, they would be better off also because that way the kids would know how to act when they became adults and how to dress. One good thing that comes from Rex always drinking is that the kids now know what that can do to a family so they will most likely not do it when they grow up. =]]
Every family has something different about them, whether it be rules or punishments. Some families only allow their children to get A's & B's or they get grounded. Some parents couldn't care less if their child got an F. Some are just happy with C's. Dysfunctional families are usually the ones where parents got married young, dislike eachother but wont get a divorce or families with people who are alcoholics and drug addicts. Families who have abusive people. Parents who grew up in a dysfunctional family SOMETIMES bring it along with their own family. Lately you don't see too many healthy families. Sometimes there are family members who are very unhappy. Most healthy families are the parents who went to college and both got good jobs with kids doing great in school and planning on going to college. Parents should be the solid providers of money for a good period of time. It's their job to take care of their children and the childrens jobs are to do well in school so they get into college and become something of themselves. That's what my mom always told me, if i offer her money she turns me down because she explained that it's her job to bring in the money and mine to focus on school. The Walls family has a lot of problems. The mother seems to keep the money for herself or the dad takes it and spends it on booze or spends it all in one night. The kids are always trying to help them get organized but the parents either wont let them help or criticize the kids' ideas. Maybe if the parents listen to their children they wouldn't be so far in the gutter.
It's funny to think that family is something most of us take for granted. When you think of family, usually it's about being with the people that you love and who love you back. Families are made together to create unbreakable bonds, through the think and thin, and no matter what you will always have them there. Sometimes though, people aren't as lucky and can't always have that. Sometimes you just have to take what you have and go with it. As for roles in the family, it's quite simple. The parents make rules, for the children to break them =] ! As for being dysfunctional, the only i can think of is not being honest. No matter what, everyone always wishes for the so called, "perfect family."
In my opinion all families are different. The Wall family are unique in their own ways yet at the same time they are just like other families. In my family there is just me, my mom, and my brother. There are many different things that make a family dysfunctional, such as divorce, alcoholics, lack of career. The Walls suffer, in my opinion because Rex drinks all the money away and neither of them make a steady income.
I don't think you can actually give out roles in a family. Many would say the father plays a main role in a childs life, however i disagree, i've never had one and for the most part im normal. i think the parents need to be responsible and give their child enough guidance but at the same time not too much. as for the child, well give your parents lots of love and show them that you appreciate all that they do for you, they do a lot more than you realize. i've discovered that my mom does so much for me and thats why i always remember to say thanks mom i love you. the little things count.
the walls are unique people. there are so many things about their family that i think are great. the way they depend on eachother and for the most part dont give up on eachother is truly amazing. they are a very tough family. they may be dysfunctional in the aspects that they dont really have a home or all the "things" we find so important in life. but i think thats a good thing because the things they find important are truly important. and even if Rex and Rose are odd, they are good parents in many ways. their children learn so much on their own.
familes can be many differnt things. it all depends on how you look at it and whats important to you. i think the most important thing to remember is to never forget about the people in your life that truly matter and do anything for you, and that is usually your family. remember to appreciate the things they do for you anc show how much you care for them.
I agree with most of what everyone has said; however, Peter thinks the parents are terrible to the kids. I don't think they are COMPLETELY terrible. They make sure their kids are smart. If the mom would stop worrying about art and get a job instead of making the kids make their own money maybe the family would have a little more. If the dad stopped drinking they would have more. The parents both have a little growing up to do. The mom just sits and cries and eats her chocolate bars.. while the dad drinks away money, and the kids are forced to get money on their own. Things that the father do in the future are terrible, but you can't really say throughout his fatherhood he was terrible. He taught them well, these kids could probably get a scholarship to a school with how smart they are. If Brian takes up wrestling like he says he was going to do, maybe he'll get really good and get a scholarship for that. These kids have something going for them, they're intensely smart, and they can thank their parents for that part of their life, for the rest of it though.. they at least taught their kids what they should NOT do with their lives.
Getting further in the book, everyone is starting to realize that maybe what the parents do aren't the best decisions to be made. They aren't always there, and sometimes they act like more of the kids then parents.
After reading bits and pieces of everyones blog, i like how everyone somehow stated that families are different and strange,especially the family in the book. Another thing though, is how most of us all said that no matter how tough the times, they will always be your family, and you will always love them!
The quotes of good advice...
"Families are strange things." -P
"Every family has something different about them, whether it be rules or punishments." -K "families can be many different things. it all depends on how you look at it and whats important to you." -E "I think families have to share the responsibilities." -K ..."build a stronger relationship with everyone." -T
Over all, i feel bad for the kids and don't think they should have to deal with the problem, they deal with. Some things are better kept to yourself.
i agree with Kirsten, that familes should share responsibilities. i have chores at home but usually i dont mind doing them because if i didnt then my mom would have to do it all. i also enjoy doing them sometimes just because it makes my mom happy. i realize that even if it isnt ovbious that your parents do a lot that really they do they have to worry about money, food, and keeping their kids up to date with whats "in" at that time, and ofcourse it changes often. i cant imagine if i had to buy everything for myself and for someone else. parents have a lot of responsibilites and a lot to think about. kids do too though, the future is important and we have to work now to get the one we dream about.
i think Jeannette is learing a lot about life from her parents. even though Rex and Rose dont take responsibily for well, anything, i think the children can learn a lot from their parents mistakes. i think once the children get to be on their own they are going to know how to handle money and responsiblities that grownups are supposed to deal with. its like katelyn said, every family is different. the walls are just on the different side of normal. =]
My ideas of a healthy successful family is that they all have to get along and spend time with each other. If you have a family that has problems then you should step up and do something about it. If you're dad goes out every day and gets wasted you should step and tell him that he shouldn't do that and have him do something with you to keep his mind off of drinking.
In some families the dad who gets drunk is usually abusive after and hits his kid and his wife. And when the dad does that he is setting a bad example on his family. Also the younger kids would be having such a hard time at home that the would be getting into trouble at school or getting bullied. And the same thing with the mom, if she doesn't do anything around the house like clean it or do laundry the kids will get picked on at school because they either stick or look bad. Parents can't be so selfish all the time. Or even fill their kids heads with lies.
A family can only be a happy family if they do what there told and pay the taxes, car insurance child care or any of those things. Because if you don't then you would end up like the Walls family.
Every family and everyone has a duty and a responsibility. And if you don't do any of those it can lead you into even bigger trouble than you are already in.
Everyone wants to find an easier way to do things and if they don't they get frustrated and start drinking or getting depressed. And that ends up flowing right into the kids too. The parents are most likely the reason why kids don't get along with other students in school.
There can't always be a perfect family. My family isn't perfect but you don't see me complaining. My sisters and I fight and I fight with my brothers. But it happens if you have other siblings. It's natural for a family to fight every now and then because when you person says something the other person likes they try to defend it and they start yelling and carrying on.
Also we fight about chores and who does what. I mean people fight about stuff that are so stupid and they get all carried away with it.
What I think a family should do is set a goal. And go out in the world and reach your goal.
FAIL. The Walls aren't just pretty little people that have a few little quirks. Even if Rex were to stop drinking, that family would still be DEEP in the hole. The Mom would still be insane, the Dad would still be lazy, and the children would still be victims of society. Until those kids can do things on their own, I'm afraid that family is stuck where it is.
Peter, it is uncalled for to attack someone's comments by insulting her. You might disagree with the ideas, but that does NOT entitle you to insult the person. Bad call. Please apologize!
Everyone has done a nice job sharing many ideas about families. I have enjoyed reading your comments (with one notable exception).
I wonder how responsible one's family is for one's future. How hard is it to change your outcome if you have not had the support of a good family? How long do the negative things that happened affect someone? People go through years of therapy over childhood issues.
My mom is a clean freak. She hates bugs. I think the kids should have a better environment to grow up in. The father shouldn't drink, especially driving with the kids. The mom is stuck up. She doesn't care what other people think. There are times when she should think more about what the kids need, like when Lori needed glasses and she didn't want Lori to have them. She should think more about the kids' needs than the way she grew up and what she wants for the kids.
14 comments:
Families are strange things. It's uncanny that such a small group of people can bond to each other over something so flimsy as blood relations. And even as families go, this one is particularly...well...weird. As I've said before, the parents are terrible to the kids, and they still love each other more than anything. In real life, it would make no sense at all, let alone in a nonfiction book. I can only imagine what a loving family they did if the Dad didn't go and get blasted every two seconds.
As for regular families...well, I already said the whole concept was strange. We like some more than others, but we love all of them. Why? Because we happen to have a relative in common? Fact is, we're all related in one way or another, but we still find ourselves incapable of saying "I love you" to a person on the street. That's just common sense, right?
Well, as I said, it's strange.
As for roles, your guess is as good as mine. Children could be the secret leaders of the family, and parents could all harbor secret desires to smother their children, for all I know. My basic overview just tells me that parents love their children and vice versa. I don't know anything about parent-child psychology, so I'm just going to let that sleeping Rottweiler lie where it is.
This concludes my 400 gigabytes or ranting. We now return you to your regularly scheduled boring blog.
~Peter
Families should always work together and not fight. The parents should work to keep the food on the table and to pay for the house. The parents should not be going out all the time partying and getting drunk. If the either of the parents have a drinking problem and when they get drunk the get abusive the kids should not have to deal with that because they get depressed and get bad grades, get in trouble at school or anything like that. Also the parents have to spend quality time with the family and go out on vacations and spend time with the kids to build a stronger relationship with everyone.
I think families have to share the responsibilities. The parents have to make sure they are watching over the kids and making sure the kids are doing what they are supposed to be doing. The kids have to help out also. In my family, for example, me and my sister have to do the dishes and make sure our rooms are clean. Doing chores is a big part of families and helping out. The parents should always make sure they have money for food and for emergencies.
In the Walls family, they are loving and caring, the parents just don't take care of the kids the way they should. If Rex wasn't always drinking and had a job, I'm sure they would be wayyyyy better off. Also, if Rose watched the kids more closely and made sure they were clean and had cloths that actually had buttons, they would be better off also because that way the kids would know how to act when they became adults and how to dress. One good thing that comes from Rex always drinking is that the kids now know what that can do to a family so they will most likely not do it when they grow up. =]]
Every family has something different about them, whether it be rules or punishments. Some families only allow their children to get A's & B's or they get grounded. Some parents couldn't care less if their child got an F. Some are just happy with C's.
Dysfunctional families are usually the ones where parents got married young, dislike eachother but wont get a divorce or families with people who are alcoholics and drug addicts. Families who have abusive people. Parents who grew up in a dysfunctional family SOMETIMES bring it along with their own family.
Lately you don't see too many healthy families. Sometimes there are family members who are very unhappy. Most healthy families are the parents who went to college and both got good jobs with kids doing great in school and planning on going to college.
Parents should be the solid providers of money for a good period of time. It's their job to take care of their children and the childrens jobs are to do well in school so they get into college and become something of themselves. That's what my mom always told me, if i offer her money she turns me down because she explained that it's her job to bring in the money and mine to focus on school.
The Walls family has a lot of problems. The mother seems to keep the money for herself or the dad takes it and spends it on booze or spends it all in one night. The kids are always trying to help them get organized but the parents either wont let them help or criticize the kids' ideas. Maybe if the parents listen to their children they wouldn't be so far in the gutter.
-katelyn
It's funny to think that family is something most of us take for granted. When you think of family, usually it's about being with the people that you love and who love you back. Families are made together to create unbreakable bonds, through the think and thin, and no matter what you will always have them there. Sometimes though, people aren't as lucky and can't always have that. Sometimes you just have to take what you have and go with it. As for roles in the family, it's quite simple. The parents make rules, for the children to break them =] ! As for being dysfunctional, the only i can think of is not being honest. No matter what, everyone always wishes for the so called, "perfect family."
In my opinion all families are different. The Wall family are unique in their own ways yet at the same time they are just like other families. In my family there is just me, my mom, and my brother. There are many different things that make a family dysfunctional, such as divorce, alcoholics, lack of career. The Walls suffer, in my opinion because Rex drinks all the money away and neither of them make a steady income.
I don't think you can actually give out roles in a family. Many would say the father plays a main role in a childs life, however i disagree, i've never had one and for the most part im normal. i think the parents need to be responsible and give their child enough guidance but at the same time not too much. as for the child, well give your parents lots of love and show them that you appreciate all that they do for you, they do a lot more than you realize. i've discovered that my mom does so much for me and thats why i always remember to say thanks mom i love you. the little things count.
the walls are unique people. there are so many things about their family that i think are great. the way they depend on eachother and for the most part dont give up on eachother is truly amazing. they are a very tough family. they may be dysfunctional in the aspects that they dont really have a home or all the "things" we find so important in life. but i think thats a good thing because the things they find important are truly important. and even if Rex and Rose are odd, they are good parents in many ways. their children learn so much on their own.
familes can be many differnt things. it all depends on how you look at it and whats important to you. i think the most important thing to remember is to never forget about the people in your life that truly matter and do anything for you, and that is usually your family. remember to appreciate the things they do for you anc show how much you care for them.
I agree with most of what everyone has said; however, Peter thinks the parents are terrible to the kids. I don't think they are COMPLETELY terrible. They make sure their kids are smart. If the mom would stop worrying about art and get a job instead of making the kids make their own money maybe the family would have a little more. If the dad stopped drinking they would have more. The parents both have a little growing up to do. The mom just sits and cries and eats her chocolate bars.. while the dad drinks away money, and the kids are forced to get money on their own. Things that the father do in the future are terrible, but you can't really say throughout his fatherhood he was terrible. He taught them well, these kids could probably get a scholarship to a school with how smart they are. If Brian takes up wrestling like he says he was going to do, maybe he'll get really good and get a scholarship for that. These kids have something going for them, they're intensely smart, and they can thank their parents for that part of their life, for the rest of it though.. they at least taught their kids what they should NOT do with their lives.
-katelyn
Getting further in the book, everyone is starting to realize that maybe what the parents do aren't the best decisions to be made. They aren't always there, and sometimes they act like more of the kids then parents.
After reading bits and pieces of everyones blog, i like how everyone somehow stated that families are different and strange,especially the family in the book. Another thing though, is how most of us all said that no matter how tough the times, they will always be your family, and you will always love them!
The quotes of good advice...
"Families are strange things."
-P
"Every family has something different about them, whether it be rules or punishments."
-K
"families can be many different things. it all depends on how you look at it and whats important to you."
-E
"I think families have to share the responsibilities."
-K
..."build a stronger relationship with everyone."
-T
Over all, i feel bad for the kids and don't think they should have to deal with the problem, they deal with. Some things are better kept to yourself.
i agree with Kirsten, that familes should share responsibilities. i have chores at home but usually i dont mind doing them because if i didnt then my mom would have to do it all. i also enjoy doing them sometimes just because it makes my mom happy. i realize that even if it isnt ovbious that your parents do a lot that really they do they have to worry about money, food, and keeping their kids up to date with whats "in" at that time, and ofcourse it changes often. i cant imagine if i had to buy everything for myself and for someone else. parents have a lot of responsibilites and a lot to think about. kids do too though, the future is important and we have to work now to get the one we dream about.
i think Jeannette is learing a lot about life from her parents. even though Rex and Rose dont take responsibily for well, anything, i think the children can learn a lot from their parents mistakes. i think once the children get to be on their own they are going to know how to handle money and responsiblities that grownups are supposed to deal with. its like katelyn said, every family is different. the walls are just on the different side of normal. =]
My ideas of a healthy successful family is that they all have to get along and spend time with each other. If you have a family that has problems then you should step up and do something about it. If you're dad goes out every day and gets wasted you should step and tell him that he shouldn't do that and have him do something with you to keep his mind off of drinking.
In some families the dad who gets drunk is usually abusive after and hits his kid and his wife. And when the dad does that he is setting a bad example on his family. Also the younger kids would be having such a hard time at home that the would be getting into trouble at school or getting bullied. And the same thing with the mom, if she doesn't do anything around the house like clean it or do laundry the kids will get picked on at school because they either stick or look bad. Parents can't be so selfish all the time. Or even fill their kids heads with lies.
A family can only be a happy family if they do what there told and pay the taxes, car insurance child care or any of those things. Because if you don't then you would end up like the Walls family.
Every family and everyone has a duty and a responsibility. And if you don't do any of those it can lead you into even bigger trouble than you are already in.
Everyone wants to find an easier way to do things and if they don't they get frustrated and start drinking or getting depressed. And that ends up flowing right into the kids too. The parents are most likely the reason why kids don't get along with other students in school.
There can't always be a perfect family. My family isn't perfect but you don't see me complaining. My sisters and I fight and I fight with my brothers. But it happens if you have other siblings. It's natural for a family to fight every now and then because when you person says something the other person likes they try to defend it and they start yelling and carrying on.
Also we fight about chores and who does what. I mean people fight about stuff that are so stupid and they get all carried away with it.
What I think a family should do is set a goal. And go out in the world and reach your goal.
FAIL.
The Walls aren't just pretty little people that have a few little quirks. Even if Rex were to stop drinking, that family would still be DEEP in the hole.
The Mom would still be insane, the Dad would still be lazy, and the children would still be victims of society. Until those kids can do things on their own, I'm afraid that family is stuck where it is.
Stupid Emily.
~Peter
Peter, it is uncalled for to attack someone's comments by insulting her. You might disagree with the ideas, but that does NOT entitle you to insult the person. Bad call. Please apologize!
Everyone has done a nice job sharing many ideas about families. I have enjoyed reading your comments (with one notable exception).
I wonder how responsible one's family is for one's future. How hard is it to change your outcome if you have not had the support of a good family? How long do the negative things that happened affect someone? People go through years of therapy over childhood issues.
What do you think?
AMBER:
My mom is a clean freak. She hates bugs. I think the kids should have a better environment to grow up in. The father shouldn't drink, especially driving with the kids. The mom is stuck up. She doesn't care what other people think. There are times when she should think more about what the kids need, like when Lori needed glasses and she didn't want Lori to have them. She should think more about the kids' needs than the way she grew up and what she wants for the kids.
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