AY Honors/Family Life/Answer Key

5. Make a list of some of the things your family spends money on. Explain your responsibility to the finances of your family.

Living with your parents

If you are not living on your own, you will need to talk to your parents about this. Before you do though, see how much of the list you can make up yourself. Then talk to them and see if they can add (or subtract) anything from it.

Your responsibilities will vary with your situation, but you almost certainly have some influence on how much your family spends. If you are in the habit of wasting food, or overeating, you can address that yourself. Turn out lights when you leave a room. Close the door when you enter or leave your home so that your family does not pay to heat or air condition the front yard.

Living on your own

If you are living on your own, you should already have a pretty good idea of what you spend money on. Think about this and write it down. If you have never done it before, it can be an enligntening experience. Go through your checkbook and any credit card statements.

Your responsibility to the family finances is nearly total, though it may be shared with a spouse. Make out a budget and stick to it. Do not spend more money than you make, and if yu find yourself doing this, look for areas where you can cut back (adjust your thermostat, avoid restaurants, and do not make impulse purchases).

6. Make a list of family activities that you think your family would enjoy.

Think of the times you can remember each family member laughing or smiling. What was going on then? Ask your famiy members what they enjoy the most and write that down too. You can also ask them what three things they would like to have if they were stranded on a desert island (supposing it already had everything on it they'd need for survival). Do not accept answers like "a boat and two oars." You're looking for the things they like to do.

8. Know what to do in the following circumstances in your home:

a. Accident

If the accident has caused a serious injury requiring emergency medical assistance, call 911. If an injury is serious but not immediately life threatening, it is better to go to the hospital emergency room. Bear in mind, however, that the emergency room staff are trained to treat people according to the severity of their problem rather than in the order they arrive. If the injury is minor but still requires medical attention, call your family doctor - if the doctor believes the situation is serious enough, he will recommend that you go to the emergency room, come to the office, or self-treat.

b. Bad storm

Get inside the house during a storm. In tornado weather, seek shelter in the basement, beneath a heavy item of furniture, or in a doorway. Stay away from the windows.

c. Financial crisis

Cut out uneccessary expenses, and be mindful of waste. Take only as much food as you will eat, and save leftovers for another meal (and eat them!) Turn off lights when leaving a room and lower the thermostat. If the family is in heavy debt, seek credit counseling. Eat at home instead of at a restaurant. To save gasoline, consolidate trips rather than driving to town every day to run errands.

d. Fire

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Fire

e. Loss of a relative

When a loved one dies, it is important that the family grieve. Remember that it is not God's will that people die. His original plan did not include death. Take hope in the resurrection, comfort other family members and take time to cry yourself.

9. Plan and conduct a fire drill in your home.

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Fire drill

10. List five ways you can show concern for or interest in your neighbors.

• Talk to them!
• Cut their grass without being asked
• Rake their leaves
• Shovel their sidewalk
• Bring them cookies
• Take their dog for a walk
• Offer to care for their pets while they are away

11. Study the recreational activities of your family. What improvements, if any, can be made?

Specific areas to consider are sedentary activities versus physical activities. You cannot replace all sedentary activities with physical ones, but most families can improve in this area.

Another area to consider is television viewing. Watching TV does not require any interaction between family members. Instead, everyone's eyes are glued to the tube, and no one is talking to another. If someone does talk during the program, it is often met with glares or a "be quiet!" It is far better to engage in activities that require interaction among family members, such as board games.

Do your families activities require a lot of driving to and fro from one place to another? This is often the case in a large family where one child has ballet, another has soccer practice, and another has piano lessons. Shuttling people from one event to another can be stressful! Why not suggest activities that everyone can enjoy instead of activities that only one person does? It's OK to have personal interests, but be careful that your family activities don't reduce the parents to little more than chauffeurs and taxi drivers.

What other improvements can you think of?