The Patriot In-Depth: finding time for family
Over the years, high school students’ schedules have increasingly become more hectic. From school, work, after school activities, and homework, students rarely have the time to spend with their families. The Patriot discovers the benefits of family time and, in particular, family dinners.
January 28, 2015
Photo courtesy Kristen Flanigan
Junior Kristen Flanigan (third from the left) and her family visited Rock State Park on June 18, 2014. They plan to go to Massachusetts in April to spend more time with her extended family.
Junior Kristen Flanigan walks around her kitchen table, getting ready for dinner with her family while she tells them about her day. The Flanigan family, unlike some, continues to eat dinner together almost every night.
“My family used to eat together every night when my sister wasn’t at college, but my dad thinks it’s still really important to eat as a family, so we continue to make the effort,” Flanigan said.
Even after a long day of work, Flanigan’s mother prepares meals to ensure they spend family time together and catch up on their daily lives.
“I really appreciate that my parents continue to work to have dinner together considering I am busy with school, homework, SAT tutoring, track, and field hockey,” Flanigan said.
Flanigan’s family also takes time out of their busy schedules to go to Massachusetts for family vacations about three times a year. “We normally visit my family that lives up there once every break so in the summer, winter, and spring,” Flanigan said.
The benefits of spending time with family can be considerable, but between the numerous other responsibilities that high school students have to balance, spending time with family can often become just another stress point.