5 Ways Family Members Start Acting like Roommates

In the distant past there were certain things a family did that made them distinct from just individuals living together, such as in the case of roommates. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way families have started acting more like roommates and less like a real family. Let's take a look at five different ways family members are behaving that has them acting more like roommates, than family members.

Not Sharing Family Meals Together-

When I was growing up in the 50's and 60's, all meals were shared with the family. We always sat down together at the kitchen table for breakfast or lunch, and at dining room table for dinners. All family members were present, no excuses. This carried on until my sisters and I left our family home. I left at nine-teen to join the Air force, and my sisters were at home until they were married in their twenties. The point is, families shared their meals together as well as how their day and their life was going, It was time for a family to keep up with what was going on with each family member. Even today it is said that families that share meals together have less drug abuse, and behavioral problems with kids, than those who don't. Unfortunately, with fast food, busy lives, and an array of electronic equipment in each kid's' bedroom, meals aren't shared among family members as much as they once were.The family meals have been replaced with family members who are acting like roommates coming and going, and rarely sharing meals together. It's not just the meals their missing, but the closeness and sharing of ones lives that use to keep a family close.

Electronic Parents-

It is rare to find a home nowadays where each family member doesn't have his own TV, Stereo, and computer in their bedroom. Many years ago if the family was lucky they had one TV and that was in the family room. So, even if the family members were watching TV, they at least had to do it together. Often times there was conversation, and sharing about what was happening on the show during the commercials. Nowadays, each child has their own TV and computer, so off they go after dinner, if not before with their dinner in hand, to huddle in their room for the rest of the night. Not much parenting and guidance can be done through a bedroom wall. Because of today's electronic parents, kids are lacking the well rounded teaching that kids of my generation were lucky enough to get. Yes, four individuals in four different rooms acting like roommates instead of a family.

Work and Individual Sports and Activities-

With both parents working in most families, the home has become just a brief stopping off place for parents, many parents don't get home until just before dinner if not after. Sometimes the kids have to fen for themselves. Often times the kids aren't even home because each of them are involved in some kind of sport or activity. It makes you wonder if anyone has all of it's family members home at the same time, ever. Well, this is definitely a scenario more for roommates than that of a functioning family. I mean isn't that what roommates do? Each person in and out all day long, and sometimes rarely seeing the person they live with. Yes, the nuclear family of today has become so busy with work and outside activities, to observe them you would wonder if they are a family at all, or just plain roommates.

Blended Step Families; Your House My House
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Although some step families do make a good effort to spend time with all family members, it is so difficult in those homes where kids are constantly shuffled back and forth between Mom and Dad's house. Let's remember, a step family also has the ex's who want to see the kids as well. So, what do you have? A revolving door with kids coming and going, and sometimes hardly remembering which house there at, and when. This can be very hard on any family trying to create closeness among family members, The perfect solution would be that all the families could spend time together as a group. Unfortunately not to many ex's are that highly enlightened to put up with that type of arrangement. Again, to see this going on is more like watching roommates, than a consistent close knit family.

Lack of Family Activities-

Oddly enough although there is a lot of activities going on in the typical family household today, not much of it is with the whole family. Sometimes it seems that Mom and Dad are so tired of working and trying to keep up all the other household responsibilities it's easier to just let the kids go off by themselves. Weekends are often spent catching up on housecleaning, food shopping, laundry, paying bills, and much more. It's just to difficult for two working parents to get it all done during the week. It use to be many years ago, a lot of the activities and outings were done as a family, and only a few activities were left to the kids alone. Unfortunately when family members do not spend enough time together, the cohesiveness of the family unit ends up suffering. There's nothing wrong with kids having their own interests,, but when there's is little family time for sharing activities, then it becomes more like a bunch of people just acting more like roommates, Each of them doing their own thing, instead of like a family sharing their life and growing together.

It's sad in today's world that many families are suffering this detachment, and really are just acting like roommates. It seems to be getting worse year by year instead of better. We need to bring back the traditional family values that once was such a part of growing up in America, and once and for all stop acting like roommates, and start acting like close and loving family members!