Considering
the needs of other members of the family may also mean allotting
just a reasonable amount of space for your clothes, school things,
and personal items; making sure your food ration does not deprive
other household members of nourishment; and regulating your
use of facilities like the telephone.
- Talk with your parents and siblings. Communication
among family members is very important. Parents express their
love and concern for their children through words and actions;
they give advice on good conduct and proper behavior. In return,
parents are always happy to hear you talk about your day in
school or about your friends. It also pleases parents to see
the children sharing stories or giving each other advice regarding
certain issues. These moments of sharing keep the family together.
- Respect parents and siblings. Filipinos usually demonstrate
respect for the older members of the family by addressing parents
and other adults with "po" and "opo" and
older siblings as "ate¡¨ or "kuya". Respect is
also shown by acknowledging each other's needs for privacy.
Bedroom, cabinets, and bags are never used or opened without
the permission of the owner. Likewise, never read diaries and
letters that do not belong to you.
- Do things in moderation. Conflicts arise when teenagers go
beyond the limits set by parents. They come home in the early
morning hours from parties, they spend the whole day everyday
with their friends, they eat too much or too little, they indulge
in junk food rather than fruits and vegetables, they study too
much and have very little time for socials, or they attend too
many socials at the expense of their studies. Parents trust
teenagers who can prove that they are responsible and trustworthy.
Learn to restructure your schedule.
- Be sensitive to the financial situation of the family. When
resources are limited, try to find ways of cutting personal
expenses. For example, why not bring packed lunch and drinking
water to school instead of buying food and water from the school
cafeteria? Or, initiate activities which can generate income.
Here are some income-generating activities
you can undertake with the help of he other members in your
family:
- Ask your parents, sisters, and brothers to rummage through
their things for clothes, books, and other belongings that they
no longer have use for. Gather everything then organize a garage
sale in your home.- Cook some snacks or merienda which you can
sell in the neighborhood or in school.
- Recycle materials into decorative or functional items. For
instance, retazos or scraps of cloths may be sewn together to
make potholders or quilts. Learn how to make homemade paper
from scratch papers. Old newspapers may be used to fashion papier
mache. |
