Family life Text 1 Parents and children

What is a typical American family? The traditional includes mom, dad, and the kids, but there now are many other combinations of family households. Eight per cent are single-parent families, where one parent lives with the children, while other families may consist of children living with a parent or a stepparent.

In general, the average number of people living together under one roof has got smaller. In 1960, there were 3.3 people in a household; now there are only 2.7. The number of children in a family is also much smaller, and children are usually encouraged to be independent and leave home, when they finish school and start working.

Recently, more children are staying at home with their parents longer, because their salary is not high enough to cover the cost of living away from home. They also prefer the home comforts that their parents can offer.

VOCABULARY

a typical family (traditional)

to include

a single-parent family

stepparent

to live under one roof

to be independent (from)

to stay at home

salary

enough

to cover the cost of living

to offer

Discuss the following questions with a partner:

• What is the best thing about living at home?

• What don’t you like about living at home?

• What do you miss when you leave your home?

Text 2 Love, marriage and divorce

People usually get married in their twenties or thirties, although some couples decide to live together without getting married. Many men and women stay single, because it is difficult to find a compatible person to date or marry. Some single people look for partners through the personals, ads that appear in newspapers or magazines. More divorced people or single people who have never married choose to live alone.

One out of two American marriages ends in divorce. It is a painful process for all family members, and many couples seek marriage counseling to try to prevent a divorce. Children of divorced families often live with their mothers. When the parents have joint custody of the children, the children often divide their time between each parent.

VOCABULARY

to get married

to marry

marriage

a married couple

to stay single

to date

to look for a partner

to divorce

to end in divorce

divorced

a painful process

to prevent a divorce

marriage of convenience

relationship

Answer the questions.

1. What are your ideas about marriage?

2. What is the right age to get married?

3. Is it a good idea to advertise for a partner?

4. What way of finding a partner would you prefer?

5. If parents divorce, is it better for children:

1. to live only with their mother or their father?

2. to live part time with each parent? (explain your answer)

Text 3 Caring and sharing

In many families both the mother and father work. Today women represent more than 50 per cent of the work force. The responsibilities of running a house and raising the children are now more equally shared between men and women than ever before. Fathers have become more involved in raising the children and taking care of their everyday needs, although mothers still spend more time caring for the children and doing the household chores.

When both parents work, they have to make child-care arrangements for their children. Some parents hire babysitters to stay at home with babies and younger children. Others take their children to a day-care centre. School-age children can go to an after-school programme when the regular school day is over. Organizing family life can involve writing schedules to make sure everything gets done.

VOCABULARY

responsibilities

duties

to run a house

running a house

to raise children

raising children

to bring up children

to share the responsibilities about the house

(un)equal sharing of domestic responsibilities

to involve

to become involved in smth.

to take care of smth.

everyday needs

to hire a babysitter

to take the children to a day-care centre (kindergarten)

to pick up the children from

an after-school programme

schedule

to support

to supply

to earn money

to do work about the house

1. В нашей семье все вовлечены в ведение хозяйства. Мы делим наши обязанности поровну.

2. Сейчас много семей, где оба родителя работают. Поэтому они вынуждены нанимать няню, чтобы она заботилась о детях.

3. Основная обязанность отца – заработать деньги для обеспечения семьи.

4. У мамы много обязанностей. Она занимается хозяйством, заботиться обо всех членах семьи.

5. Я считаю, что оба родителя должны принимать участие в воспитании детей.

6. После уроков многие школьники остаются в группе продленного дня.

7. Вечером он забирает брата из детского сада. Это его основная обязанность.

8. Воспитание детей и забота о них – трудная задача, поэтому во многих семьях родители составляют распорядок дня.

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